Scotland’s “largest medieval coin hoard” in 200 years

It was announced this week that detectorists have unearthed the largest medieval coin hoard found in Scotland since the 19th century. It was found last year near the village of Dunscore in Dumfriesshire. The 8,047 coins in the hoard are a mixture of Scottish, English, Irish and continental silver coins although the majority are Edward I and II pennies.

In Scotland, the Treasure Trove Unit for the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer is responsible for archaeological finds. A spokesman said “This is an absolutely amazing find. Very few medieval coin hoards have been excavated in Scotland. After the initial discovery, the site was excavated by Treasure Trove Unit officials along with National Museums Scotland archaeologists and now each coin is being catalogued. This requires identifying, photographing, measuring and weighing each one.“

Colin Mitchell of Dunscore Heritage Centre said he is “delighted” the hoard has been found in the area and that he would welcome the opportunity to display some of it in the village.