A HOARD of early Mediaeval silver pennies unearthed on land in the Eden Valley which date back to the 10th Century has formally been declared treasure.

Cockermouth Coroners’ Court heard how the impressive 20-coin collection was found 8-9 inches deep in the ground by a man using a metal detector in the parish of Crosby, near Kirkby Stephen, during February 2022.

The landowner, present in court, told assistant Cumbria coroner Ms Margaret Taylor it was the first such discovery on his property.

However, he said the site in question was close to the scene of a very high profile previous find — that of the Crosby Garrett Roman helmet, which was located in 2010 near that village. This helmet — believed to be one of only three in Britain — was described as one of the country’s most significant archaeological finds.

There were eight complete coins, each very thin, and others in a fragmented state.

A British Museum curator’s report concluded that they dated back to the time of kings Athelstan, Edmund and Eadred — from AD 924 to 955.

“Given the coins were issued by consecutive rulers, are mostly the same issue and similar condition, they are highly likely to have been deposited together,” the curator noted.

They were formally deemed treasure after the curator concluded there were at least two coins containing more than 10 per cent precious metal by weight, were 300 years old-plus, and had been found together.

Ms Taylor concluded: “It is certainly treasure and I think a museum has expressed an interest in acquiring it.”