Norfolk coin too rare to leave country

Submitted by vicky on Wednesday, 26 May 2004 Page Views: 1230

It may only be worth £2000, but the Government decided yesterday that a rare silver Iron Age Norfolk coin was too valuable to leave the country. Thought to be one of the earliest examples of text on British coins, it was produced around 50 years before the Roman invasion and is one of only five known to exist.

Bearing the undeciphered inscription "ale ff scavo" it is decorated with a distinctive boar and horse design. Arts Minister Estelle Morris yesterday deferred its export. Details of where the coin was found and who was trying to sell it were not released because of commercial confid-entiality.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said export deferral would provide a last chance to raise the money to keep the coin in the United Kingdom.
The Minister's ruling follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art.

"This reflects the coin's outstanding significance as key evidence for studying the use of written language in Iron Age Britain," a departmental spokesman said.

Dr Adrian Marsden, a finds liaison officer for Norfolk Museum Archaeology Service welcomed the decision.

"It's important that these things really stay in the country because of their historical value," he said.

"We have many Iron Age coins reported every year, most of these are very common types which are well-known.

"When we get these coins with inscriptions it could give us the name of a one of their kings or sub-kings."

He said he thought the coin might be from the Corieltauvi tribe, which occupied Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Humberside.

Source & Photo: EDP 24 26/05/2004

Contributor Bio for vicky: Ex Megalithic Portal Editor, Co-author of 'Rock Around the Peak - Megalithic Monuments of the Peak District' and... More

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