Coin hoard is a world record breaker – and that’s official

A HOARD of almost 70,000 Iron Age coins found in Jersey has been officially recognised as a world record – although its value and whether it will stay in Jersey still remain unclear.

After an intensive verification process lasting two years, the hoard discovered by metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles in a field in Grouville is now an official Guinness World Record.

Mr Mead and Mr Miles, whose find was first revealed by the JEP on 4 February 2012, have received a certificate acknowledging the hoard of 69,347 coins as the largest collection of Iron Age coins ever found.

‘It’s great news for Jersey and really puts us on the map,’ said Mr Mead. ‘It was a long process to get the record confirmed, and there were a lot of questions as part of the verification process, but we’ve got used to being patient.’

The record is now confirmed on the Guinness World Records website and should – as long as it is not surpassed – be included in the 2021 edition of the organisation’s annual book, which was first published in 1955.

The two detectorists, whose find was the culmination of a quest that had lasted more than 20 years, are still awaiting news regarding the valuation of the hoard, which also included a number of gold torques and other artefacts and is estimated to date from the first century BC.

The hoard was initially valued by the UK Treasury and Valuation Committee in 2013, prior to the painstaking work of separating the tens of thousands of individual components which made it up.

It was then revalued by the TVC once the contents were known and its second valuation is believed to be in the region of £2.5 million.

Further valuation work has followed, including a second opinion from a specialist French company, and a 700-page report has now been submitted.

Although there is no equivalent in Jersey to the UK Treasure Act 1996, the hoard belongs to the Crown under customary law.

However, in the absence of comparable Jersey legislation, the Crown has agreed to apply some of the principles of the UK Law which includes provision, for payment to those involved in finding treasure.

‘We’ve put a lot of time into this, but we’re not looking to become multi-millionaires out of it,’ said Mr Miles.

Mr Miles and Mr Mead are anxious that the hoard should remain in Jersey in its entirety, and hope that the issue regarding valuation can be resolved without too much further delay.

‘This is Jersey’s “family silver” and it’s difficult to explain how important it is,’ said Mr Mead. ‘There’s huge global interest in the collection, and it could be displayed around the world – the Island could make millions from it.’