Thousands of silver coins incriminating an 11th-century tax dodger and minted with the emblems of Harold II and William I are going on display at the British Museum.
Metal-detecting couple Adam Staples and Lisa Grace, 42, from Derby, found the 2,528 coins in January 2019 and it is believed the haul is worth up to £5million.
They discovered the 1,000-year-old coins in an unploughed Somerset field and it is believed to be the largest Norman treasure find since 1833.
Coins in the 1,000-year-old hoard show signs of being illicitly tampered with, sporting mixed designs on either side.
Experts say this is evidence that the person striking the coins was using an older design — from an older coining tool — and essentially avoiding paying a fee to obtain the up-to-date design.
Although the find is smaller than the famous Staffordshire Hoard, the biggest collection of buried coins and artefacts discovered in Britain, it is thought to be at least £1million more valuable.
Many of the coins are in mint condition and could be valued anywhere between £1,000 and £5,000 each.
Harold Godwinson of England was the Anglo-Saxon ruler and claimant to the throne after the death of Edward the Confessor.
It was then that the invading illegitimate son of Richard I, better known as William the Conqueror, sailed across the English Channel and laid claim to the British Isles.
The Battle of Hastings, and the demise of Harold II, is one of the most famed periods of English history and put an abrupt end to the Anglo-Saxon rule.
Coins from around 1066 depicting both the defeated King Harold II and the triumphant conqueror William I were found in an unploughed field.
Rebecca Pow, minister for arts, heritage and tourism, said: ‘This is a very exciting discovery and important finds like this shed new light on the remarkable and fascinating history of our country.’
