New Treasure Act definition sees rare silver penny discovered in Norfolk become 'the first in the country' to be classed as treasure

The coin discovered near Thetford, Norfolk, was made for Aethelstan II, better known as ‘Guthrum’, who led a Danish invasion of Anglo-Saxon England.

A rare silver penny discovered by a metal detectorist in Norfolk is "the first in the country" to benefit from a new Treasure Act definition “on the basis of national significance”, an expert has said.

The coin discovered near Thetford, Norfolk, was made for Aethelstan II, better known as ‘Guthrum’, who led a Danish invasion of Anglo-Saxon England and waged war against Alfred the Great.

He converted to Christianity as part of a peace deal and when he withdrew to run East Anglia as his own kingdom in AD880, he began minting his own coins.

Last year, the Government changed the legal definition of treasure

Under the previous definition, newly discovered artefacts could only be legally classified as “treasure” if they were more than 300 years old and made of precious metal or part of a collection of valuable objects or artefacts.

However, the new criteria applies to the most exceptional finds over 200 years old – regardless of the type of metal of which they are made – so long as they provide “an important insight into the country’s heritage”.

Making the announcement in February 2023, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “This new definition will mean that future discoveries of objects made of non-precious metals, like the Bronze Age Rudham dirk, a ceremonial dagger which is displayed in Norwich Museum Castle, could be classed as treasure.”

Numismatist Dr Adrian Marsden said: “Last summer the Treasure legislation was amended so that single coins would now qualify as Treasure if they were deemed by experts to be of national significance. Previously, single coins had not fallen with the category of Treasure unless they were 300 years or more old, made of precious metal and had been adapted to make them into another object.

“This remarkable coin, amongst the first to be struck by a Viking ruler in Britain, carries the war-leader Guthrum’s Christian baptismal name of Aethelstan. After consideration, it was felt that this coin was important enough to fulfil the new criterion of being nationally significant and so it has been declared Treasure, the first single coin to have been so declared Treasure under the amended legislation.”

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