Metal detectorists unearth hoard of 15th century coins in Scottish Borders

Two metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of 15th century coins in the Scottish Borders.

Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson discovered 30 gold and silver coins in close proximity in the Cappercleuch area of the Borders.

The coins are a mix of Scottish and English coins, comprising English silver groats minted by Henry V (1413-1422) to Edward IV (1461-1483), and Scottish gold demy and half-demys of James I (1406-1437) and James II (1437-1460).

‘Lisa and I have been lucky enough to have found some wonderful artefacts while metal detecting, but nothing quite prepared us for a find like this,’ Keith said. 

‘Hopefully the hoard will go on public display for others to enjoy.’

The coins were likely deposited at the site in the early to mid-1460s.

Credit: Crown Office

The find was reported to the Treasure Trove Unit who assess all Scottish archaeological finds.

It will soon be referred to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel, an independent panel, where it will be assigned a monetary value to be paid to finders in the form of an ex-gratia reward.

‘The hoard is the find of a lifetime and being part of the excavation with the National Museum and Treasure Trove team was an amazing experience, something we’ll never forget,’ Lisa said.

Antony Lee from the Treasure Trove Unit said: ‘Coin hoards containing a mix of both English and Scottish coins are not unusual, but we do not see many hoards from this period in Scotland, so it’s a fascinating find.

‘Keith and Lisa acted promptly and correctly in reporting it to us. In turn we, along with archaeologists from National Museums Scotland, were able to attend and excavate the site, finding five more coins and documenting the circumstances of the hoard alongside the finders.’

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