The largest haul of Iron Age coins ever discovered in Britain has been secured for public display at Ipswich Museum. The Wickham Market hoard is made up of 840 coins and is the largest known and most complete Iron Age gold collection in existence. They were made around 2,000 years ago by the Iceni tribe, whose territory covered Norfolk, north Suffolk and parts of Cambridgeshire. The coins were buried about two generations before Iceni warrior queen Boudica led her people in revolt against the Romans in 60 AD. The gold was unearthed by metal detectors in 2008, and the area where they were found was excavated by Suffolk County Council archaeology service. Now the coins are going on display thanks to almost £300,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Art Fund and MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.
This will prevent the coin collection being broken up between collectors.
Cliff Green, who owns the pasture where the coins were discovered said, “I had no idea there was anything of this significance on my land. A metal-detectorist had been working the fields for a while and had found a few bits and bobs but this was a bolt out of the blue. I am very proud that my land has this historical significance and I am glad the coins can be shared with the wider public.”
As well as being displayed at the museum, people who live in the former Iceni homelands will have the chance to see and learn about the collection, with Norwich Castle Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge set to host a touring exhibition.
Almost all of the coins were issued by Iceni and date from between 20 BC and 20 AD. The hoard also unusually contains five gold coins from the Corieltavi tribe who were based in the East Midlands.
This adds further evidence to the understanding of significant ties between Iceni and Corieltavi and the wider political landscape in an era when tribal identity and loyalty was everything.
