Iron Age hoard to be auctioned

[guy]

 

Professor Licence found an interesting hoard, known as The Bury St Edmunds Hoard, in Britain last year.

 

The remarkable Iron Age hoard of 18 gold coins was discovered on March 9, 2024, by Prof. Tom Licence of the University of East Anglia while metal-detecting near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The coins date to the reign of Dubnovellaunos, a ruler of the Trinovantes tribe between 25 BC and AD 10, and the find is now considered the largest known hoard associated with him.

Tom Licence, Professor of Medieval History and Literature at the University of East Anglia:

 

The hoard includes 16 gold staters and 1 quarter-stater, along with an Addedomaros wheel stater that helps confirm the correct spelling of the ruler Addedomaros’s name. One coin was struck from a previously unrecorded die, adding to the scholarly value of the discovery.

The coins were found on an east-facing slope, a location often associated with ritual or votive deposits. Licence believes the combination of the rising sun and a nearby spring suggests a spiritual purpose behind the burial.

The hoard is expected to fetch around £25,000 at auction. The sale is scheduled for March 4, 2026, with individual coins estimated at £1,500-£3,600. Licence and the landowner will each keep one coin and share compensation through the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

 

Here is information from the auctioneer's catalogue:

Quote

All of the Staters in the hoard are inscribed, and they can be attributed to two figures: Addedomaros and Dubnovellaunos. In the catalogue below, we follow the arrangement in Chris Rudd’s Ancient British Coins and assign these leaders to different tribes: the Catuvellauni and the Trinovantes, respectively. As ever in British Iron Age numismatics, this simplicity masks considerable hidden complexity. Addedomaros’ kingdom appears to have expanded to include much Trinovantian territory, and it is possible that he was Dubnovellaunos’ father, an argument supported by stylistic links between their coinages. Addedomaros was probably the first king north of the Thames to produce an inscribed coinage, but beyond that we know frustratingly little about him.

Dubnovellaunos ruled the Trinovantes, and at some point held sway in Kent as well; he is mentioned in the Emperor Augustus’ Res Gestae as having sought refuge in Rome. The findspot of this hoard, which sits a day’s walk from Colchester to the south and Bury St Edmunds to the north, is directly at the heart of Trinovantian territory. John Sills has suggested, on account of die sequencing, that Bury St Edmunds Hoard was concealed during the reign of Dubnovellaunos, for the hoard omits the ruler’s last two issues.

 

 

 

Who Were the Trinovantes?

The Trinovantes were among the most powerful Iron Age tribes in southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest. They minted their own coinage and maintained political ties with neighboring tribes, including the Catuvellauni. Their territory encompassed modern Essex, Suffolk, and parts of Hertfordshire.

 

Why Gold Staters Matter:

Gold staters were high‑value coins used for:

Elite gift‑exchange

Paying warriors or mercenaries

Ritual offerings

Diplomatic relationships between tribes

Finding a concentrated group of them—especially from a single ruler—is rare and historically significant.

 

Dubnovellaunos: A Shadowy King

Dubnovellaunos is known primarily through:

Coin inscriptions

A brief mention in Roman sources

His rule likely overlapped with the early years of Roman expansion into Britain. Coins bearing his name help historians map political boundaries and alliances during a turbulent period.

 

Religious Significance of Hoards

Many Iron Age hoards appear to be votive offerings rather than savings buried for later retrieval. Common features include:

Placement near springs or water sources

Burial on hill slopes or ridges

Orientation toward the rising sun

The location of this hoard fits that pattern, strengthening the theory of ritual deposition.

 

History professor finds huge Iron Age hoard

 

Summary of Info - Noonans.indd

 

Edited February 18 by guy