Hoxne Hoard

The Hoxne Hoard was famously discovered in 1992 by a metal detectorist named Peter Whatling in the village of Hoxne, Suffolk. Whatling had actually lost a hammer and asked his friend Eric Lawes to help him find it with his metal detector, which led to the discovery of the Roman treasure.

Under English Treasure Trove laws, the hoard was valued at £1.75 million by the Treasure Valuation Committee. This money was split equally between the finder, Eric Lawes, and the farmer who owned the field where it was found.

The hoard consists of 14,865 Roman gold, silver, and bronze coins, along with around 200 pieces of jewelry and silver tableware. Notable items include the famous gold "Empress" pepper pot and an intricate gold body chain.

The treasure was buried in the late 4th or early 5th century, a time when the Roman Empire was losing control of Britain due to attacks from Picts, Scots, and Anglo-Saxons. The wealthy Romano-British family who owned it likely buried it for safekeeping but never returned to retrieve it.