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A medieval coin hoard of three gold and twenty five silver medieval English coins, of the reigns of Edward III, Richard II, Henry VI with three pennies of uncertain rulers has beendiscovered near Bronington, Wrexham. The coins were found on several occasions in 2013 by Mr Cliff Massey with the aid of a metal detector, and a gold ring was also found by Messrs Cliff Massey and Peter Walpole while metal detecting on 16 March 2014.

The earliest coins, of Edward I or II (struck between 1280 and 1327) and Edward III (1327-77) are considerably worn through circulation, whereas those of Henry VI (1422-61) are for the most part relatively unworn. The twenty eight coins considered here appear to form a single hoard. The inclusion of a coin from the 1450s and the light weights of several groats in the new group indicate that the group as a whole was lost or deposited after 1465.

Another find associated with this hoard was a decorative gold ring.Its hexagonal bezel contains a cabochon blue sapphire. Four claws around the bezel secure the stone. The outer surface of the hoop is decorated with an applied gold relief decoration in the form of a stem with stiff-leaf foliage.

Dr Mark Redknap, Head of Collections and Research at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, said:

“The association of the ring with datable coins has significance for jewellery studies, allowing us to build up a more specific context for personal adornment in late medieval Wales. This ring is particularly fine, and on the basis of its form and style, of fifteenth-century date – a closes parallel for the still leaf foliage is found on the shoulders of a decorative gold ring set with a cut sapphire considered to be one referred to in the will of John Claymond, first president of Corpus Christi College, Oxford (1468-1537). This makes the Bronington ring contemporary with the coin element of the hoard, thought to have been deposited after AD 1465 because of the clipping evident on some coins.

Wrexham County Borough Museum has expressed an interest in acquiring the coins and the gold ring, drawing upon funding secured for Wales through the Collecting Cultures stream of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The Museum has already acquired fourteen further silver coins of Edward III – Henry VI found previously at the same site, declared treasure in 2013”.

Steve Grenter, Heritage Services Manager, Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives, said:

“Wrexham Museum is keen to acquire the hoard, we have relatively little material relating to the period of the Wars of the Roses, and so the hoard would be a significant addition to our archaeological collections. We hope that this important discovery will be secured for the museum via the HLF funded Saving Treasures; Telling Stories project in Wales. The museum will also be looking at ways of actively engaging with local community groups, so that they can work with us in co-curating its display and interpretation.”

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