Anglo-Saxon coin find near York is 'jaw dropping'

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Image captionThe small coin was found at Fulford on the the outskirts of York

A rare coin found in York by a man who took up metal detecting a week before has been described as "jaw dropping".

Experts at Yorkshire Museum said the coin was 1,400 years old and is one of only 19 ever found.

The Anglo-Saxon gold shilling was one of the first coins minted in York and is believed to be worth between £5,000 and £7,000.

It was found at Fulford, near York, by Ian Greig who had only bought a metal detector a week previously.

Mr Greig said he was initially unaware of its importance.

Image captionThe coin dates from the mid 7th century and was struck in York

"It was not until a friend of ours, who I had emailed, came back with some pictures of very similar coins that we realised what we had found and its historical significance."

Andy Woods, curator of money and medals at Yorkshire Museum, said the coin, which is smaller than a five pence piece, was a "one-in-a-million" find.

"When Ian first brought it in to me my jaw absolutely hit the floor. It is the first coin ever made in York."

He said: "It was made sometime around 620 to 650 AD and they are incredibly rare. This is only the 19th example of this type of coin ever found."

Mr Woods said the coin had a human figure holding two crosses on one side which might represent Paulinus, the first Bishop of York.

"We cannot say that for certain but it is the right time and the right place."

As the coin was found on its own it is not classed as treasure under the Treasure Act so ownership rests with the finder and the landowner, Fulford Parish Council.

Mr Greig said despite an offer from a private collector he would prefer it to be on public display and is in discussions with Yorkshire Museum about them acquiring the coin.

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New Direction

In 2019 I decided that I wanted to develop my writing in two parallel directions. The underlying desire was to continue writing my 'pure' historical novels about the Anglo-Saxon period but at the same time link that period to the twenty-first century. My first venture in that respect was Angenga, which has enjoyed excellent reviews. Encouraged, I launched into my concept of a paranormal investigator, Jake Conley. Happily, my first book Elfrid's Hole has been released by New Chapter Publishers. I'd describe it as an Anglo-Saxon ghost story. The publishers have put Book 2 Red Horse Vale on pre-publication sale (publicaion January 2020) and are scheduling Book 3 Memory of a Falcon for future publication, whilst I'm happily working on Book 4. Jake Conley and I are by now inseparable friends. But I'm also working on a straight historical novel about Earl Godwine - the fadscinating father of King Harold who died in the Battle of Hastings.

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Favorite Book of 2016 so far

 

Saints and Sinners

Saints and Sinners is  in e-bookand paperback version  – I would like to give my readers a little background to the book, hopefully without spoilers. The idea arose from my desire to write a book about the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Lindsey, my home county being Lincolnshire. Unfortunately, facts are few and far between about this marsh-infested region in the Dark Ages. In fact, its history couldn’t be ‘darker’ although the archaeological finds at Little Carlton of recent times (partial subject of my work in progress – my eighth Anglo-Saxon novel) are giving a deeper insight into the area’s history. one bright light in the Anglo-Saxon history of Lindsey was Saint Guthlac – co-protagonist of Saints and Sinners and founder of Crowland Abbey. If you would like to find out more about this remarkable man please see this You Tube video:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/2iFf2znF5iA remarkable that a loose-living, bloodthirsty nobleman-warrior should become a saint! as for his friend and companion Aethelbald, well, he just made do by continuing in his dubious ways and becoming King. So you see, these erstwhile friends took very separate ways to the undoubted immortality of their memory. I hope you will grab a copy of Saints and sinners after its release by Endeavour Media of London on NOVEMBER 23 2018.

http://jessiecahalin.com/discover-the-dark-ages-with-john-broughton/

March 4, 2019

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Today sees the publication of Wyrd of the Wolf by Endeavour Press, meaning that it is now available on all amazon stores. Just click this link to find it: myBook.to/Wyrd Here is resumé from the back Cover: 

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