Coin in horde unearthed in Fakenham declared as treasure

The precious find was made in Fakenham by metal detectorist Barry Mears in September 2022, with an inquest held this week to determine whether it was treasure.

While the horde consisted of 23 coins, just one was subject to the inquest process.

During the hearing, which lasted just a few minutes, a report from Norfolk County Council's numismatist, Adrian Marsden, was read.

In this report, Mr Marsden said the coin weighed less than a gram (0.77g) and could be dated back to pre-Biblical times. 

It was dated between 30 and 10BC, minted from Icenian silver and bore a picture of a horse.

(Image: Norfolk County Council / Creative commons license)

But he added that it was likely to have been hidden around the time of Boudica's revolt, which took place between 60 and 61AD.

He said: "Hordes like this are relatively commonplace and reflective of the feeling of unease due to Boudica's revolt."

Yvonne Blake, area coroner for Norfolk, concluded that the coin was treasure due to it being more than 300 years old and made of silver.

The find is the latest in a long list of discoveries made in Norfolk, with statistics showing that more treasure is found in the county than anywhere else in England and Wales.

Who was Boudica?

An image of Boudica published in 1793 (Image: Public domain)

Boudica was the warrior Queen of the Iceni - a Celtic tribute of the late Iron Age that lived in East Anglia.

In AD60-61 she led a revolt against the ruling Romans, which saw her become one of the most celebrated figures in Norfolk history.

The Iceni tribe is known for having produced some of the earliest examples of British coins.

Her story has been recreated in literature and film a number of times, as well as in exhibitions at Norwich's Castle Museum.