This is the first time that Iron Age coin has been recovered in the nation when metal detectorists in Anglesey, an island in Wales, United Kingdom discovered a coin treasure scattered across an open field.
The 15 perfectly preserved coins, known as staters, were used as standard currency in ancient Greece and were produced between 60 and 20 B.C. The coins, which feature the bust of the Greek god Apollo wearing a wreath on the coins’ heads side and a two-horse chariot and rider on the coins’ tails side, were derived from Macedonian gold coins of Philip II, who reigned as the king of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.
They were probably used by the Corieltavi tribe, who lived in the region during the Iron Age and were largely engaged in agriculture.
The metal detectorists notified the British Museum and Museum Wales-run Portable Antiquities Scheme after gradually unearthing the coins. According to Live Science, authorities declared the discovery a “coin treasure” this week.
Lloyd Roberts, one of the metal detectorists said “Finding a gold stater was always number one on my wish list. We were delighted to discover that this was the first hoard of Iron Age gold coins ever found in Wales.”
Although experts are not sure how the coins arrived at the site, it is known that they were minted at three different mints in Lincolnshire, now a county in England.
Because the Iron Age tribes in the country rarely used foreign money, finding coins from this era in Wales is extremely rare. Experts believe the coins may have been used as sacrifices to the gods, based on earlier study showing that the island was a “important religious center” from the first century B.C. through the first century A.D.
“This hoard is a fantastic example of the rich archaeological landscape that exists in [northwestern] Wales. While the immediate vicinity of the find did not yield any clues as to the find’s origin, the findspot lies in an area of known prehistoric and early Roman activity and helps increase our understanding of this region.”
For those interested in seeing it, the coin collection will be on display at Oriel Môn, a museum and gallery on Anglesey.