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The Bryn Melgwyn Hoard of Coins of Cnut
Author: Steve Rice Published: 23-09-2008
Bryn Melgwyn - Cnut Coin Hoard
Bryn Melgwyn, or Maelgwn as it might better be spelt (being named after
Magolocunus, early king of Gwynedd) is a hill (and a farmstead named
after the hill) lying a mile or so south of Landudno.
An important coin hoard was found here in July 1979. 'The first of the
coins came to light when a retired civil servant and metal-detector
enthusiast, Mr J. Smethurst Jones declared 17 to the police on July 16,
1979, a week after he had found them....................On July 20th Mr
Jones was joined on the site by a friend and fellow enthusiast,
Mr.D.Blamire, and together they recovered another 141 coins and 29
fragments, including many in a small lump from a spot high on the
slope, manifestly the core of the whole deposit'. (Welsh Hoards
1979-1981 Boon)
All the coins were handed over to the Museum and it was arranged with
the landowner, the Rt. Hon, the Lord Mostyn that Mr. R. B. White
(Director of the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust) to carry out an
exploratory excavation in order to see whether the original place of
concealment could be found. Between July 24 and 29 another 32 coins and
fragments were retrieved.
'When all the coins and fragments had been fully studied, the hoard
proved to consist of 204 specimens. The most expensive coin was a penny
of Sigtryggr Olafsson, better known as Sithric III 'of the Silken
Beard', an exceedingly rare piece for which the committe approved a
valuation of £1,700. The whole hoard was valued at £17,284; when
allowance was made for the 32 coins and fragments from the official
excavations, however the nett charge on the National Museum's purchase
grant was £14,667, divided equally as rewards between the two finders'.
(Welsh Hoards 1979-1981 Boon)
Exactly 200 of the 204 coins are of Cnut's Quatrefoil. 171 of these
were struck at Chester.Of the other four coins, two are of this Pointed
Helmet type and two are Irish. The most important being the Dublin
Penny with the name of Sigtryggr Olafsson on the obverse, instead of
Cnut's.
Source;Welsh Hoards 1979-1981
George C Boony
National Museum of Wales 1986
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East Lothian
