Viking/Anglo Saxon Hoard

On 24th June, 2017, the Ashmolean Museum, arranged for a talk to be given at the Corn Exchange, Faringdon, on an important hoard discovery that was made in 2015. It was found by metal detectorist, James Mather at Watlington, a small town in the middle of Oxfordshire, and he described the events that led up to it's recovery. Some of the artefacts were on show in the Faringdon Library after the talk.

The hoard consisted of 210 silver coins, small silver ingots, arm bracelets and a small scrap of gold. The coins appear to have been minted by King Alfred the Great and Ceolwulf II, and provide important, new information on the relationship between the Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex. Some coins show the two kings sitting side by side and make an important statement about the ruling of the whole Kingdom in the 9th century, hitherto unknown. it has been established that the hoard must have been buried sometime soon after 878 AD.

The Asmoleum Museum in Oxford purchased the hoard for £1.3 million which was divided between the landowner and the finder.