File:Iron Age Coin Hoard Addendum (Reverse) (FindID 214602).jpg

An initial 756 examples reported by the finder. .

Total weight (with plastic bags) 4.134kg.

An additional 27 staters were later recovered by the finder raising the total to 783.

Addendum: Following British Museum funded excavation of the hoard site by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service in October 2008 a further 42 staters were recovered. This brought the total to 825 staters. Final total also includes further examination of topsoil only adjacent to excavation in early 2009, final total 840 coins of which 4 were Corieltauvi types, the rest Icenian.

Description (report for Coroner, Ian Leins, Jan 2009): The assemblage comprises 825 gold coins. All but two of the coins are early uninscribed gold 'staters' of types produced locally in East Anglia during the late Iron Age and, therefore, associated with the Iceni (who are thought to have inhabited this area). The coins were struck between about 40 BC and AD 15. The remaining two coins are contemporary gold coins, of so-called 'South Ferriby' type, which are associated with the Iceni's neighbours (from the Lincolnshire area) the Corieltavi.

The coins can be summarised as follows: Type ~ References Quantity 'Snettisham' staters ~ cf. VA 1505; BMC 3353ff. 5 'Irstead transition' or 'Middle Freckenham' staters ~ cf. VA 624-1; 624-4; 624-7 55 'Irstead' or 'Late Freckenham' staters ~ cf. VA 626-1 185 'Early Boar Horse' (EBH) or 'Late Freckenham' staters ~ cf. VA 626-4; 626-7; 626-9; 626-12 217 'Boar Horse B' (BHB) or 'Early Freckenham' staters ~ cf. VA 620-9; 620-7; 620-1 361 'South Ferriby' staters ~ cf. VA 811 2 Total: 825

Discussion (Ian Leins): The present find easily satisfies the criteria of the Treasure Act with regard to age and metal content. They are certainly more than 300 years old and have precious metal contents well above the 10% threshold. The 825 coins described above clearly constitute a single find, deposited together in antiquity. Both the type and condition of the coins as well as the reported circumstances of discovery support this conclusion. This is further supported by the presence of a broken ceramic container of contemporary date - which should be considered as Treasure by association with the coins. The excavations also revealed a possible context for the burial of the coins; they appear to have been deposited within a rectilinear enclosure of possible religious function. The coins themselves suggest that they were buried in around AD 15/20. The hoard is highly significant as it is the largest hoard of Iron Age gold coins discovered since the Whaddon Chase (Buckinghamshire) hoard in 1849. Like many other antiquarian gold hoards, this find was partially dispersed at the time of its discovery, making it difficult to estimate even the number of coins that were found (estimates vary from about 800 to over 2000).

Potsherd (J Plouviez): The potsherds found associated are the base and 23 body sherds of a wheel-thrown jar in a sandy grog tempered fabric with mainly dark surfaces and 'sandwich' sherd section. The base is turned to give a strong footring and one small body sherd has part of a raised cordon. This type of local ware is generally dated to the 1st century AD in Suffolk.

Published in Brit Num J: J. Talbot and I. Leins, 'Before Boudicca: the Wickham Market hoard and the middle phase gold coinage of East Anglia', 80 (2010), 1-23, 6 pls