In The Money

Treasure has become such a broad umbrella these days.  It can include a wide range of historic artefacts such as a Roman belt buckle or the remains of a medieval sword or even a term of endearment for a loved one.  There can be no doubt however that the hoard of medieval gold and silver coins found by a Mr Cliff Massey in Wrexham in 2013 lives up to the billing of treasure.  In all the treasure hunter found three gold and 25 silver English coins along with three pennies, dating back to the reigns of Edward III, Richard II and Henry VI.  Mr Massey clearly has a nose for treasure hunting as just a year later he and a Mr Peter Walpole found a gold ring to add to the collection.  Experts at National Museum Wales have cast their eye over the find and have dated the earliest coins, which are considerably worn through use, to between 1280 and 1327 when King Edward I occupied the throne.   By contrast, the coins dating back to Henry VI’s reign (1422-61) are still in mint condition.  Steve Grenter, the heritage services manager at the museum said “We have relatively little material relating to the period of the Wars of the Roses, so the hoard would be a significant addition to our archaeological collections.”  Not bad for a bunch of loose change.