Hoxne Hoard Unearthed: Roman Wealth Revealed
Eric Lawes was searching for a friend's lost hammer with a metal detector in a Suffolk field on November 16, 1992, when he uncovered the largest hoard of late Roman gold and silver ever found in Britain. The Hoxne Hoard contained 15,234 coins, 200 silver spoons and ladles, gold jewelry, and 29 pieces of gold body chain. The objects date to the late fourth or early fifth century, when Roman Britain was collapsing. Someone buried this extraordinary wealth, perhaps during a Saxon raid, and never returned to retrieve it. The hoard's total weight was over 60 pounds. It was valued at 1.75 million pounds and acquired by the British Museum, where it remains on display. Lawes received the full valuation as a reward under the Treasure Act. He also found the lost hammer.
November 16, 1992
34 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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