British Iron Age gold coins worth £33,000 sold to US collectors

Experts have expressed dismay after a hoard of historically important Iron Age gold coins were sold to anonymous US collectors.

The Bury St Edmunds hoard fetched a total of £33,200 when it went under the hammer at Noonans Mayfair, on March 4.

It is the largest known hoard of Iron Age gold coins to be deposited during the reign of the King Dubnovellaunos, who ruled the Celtic Trinovantes tribe between 25BC and 10AD.

The coins feature distinctive horse designs as well as natural imagery.

Known as staters, they were found in two parcels by Tom license, professor of medieval history and literature at the University of East Anglia, in a field near Bury, in Suffolk.

In autumn 2024, discovered 16 full gold Iron Age staters and one quarter-stater, and these were promptly reported to the Finds Liaison Officer and were declared treasure.

The 46-year-old returned to the site a few months later and found one more stater.

Gareth Thomas, an Emeritus Professor at the University of East Anglia’s Law School wrote on BlueSky: ‘So, these historically significant coins, which should be in a museum in the UK, are now lost to the nation forever. A sad outcome that reflects poorly on all concerned.’

Medieval studies professor Leonie V. Hicks had previously criticised the sale of the hoard on the same social media site.

‘Much that is troubling here,’ she wrote. ‘We lose precious context, the hoard is split up and passes into private hands.’

However Professor license defended the sale and said it raised important funds for future archaeological projects.

He said: ‘It was an honour to see expert collectors taking these coins into their care. So much of the research on ancient coins is done by the collecting community, all around the world.

‘Without their contribution, we would know very little. With the share which the landowner is generously granting me, I will be supporting archaeological work in Suffolk.’

Highlights of the auction included a Addedomaros wheel stater that fetched a price of £4,600 against an estimate of £3,000-3,600.

A gold stater from Dubnovellaunos (c. 5BC to AD10) realised a hammer price of £3,400 against an estimate of £1,500-£2,000.

Both coins were brought by the same collector in the USA.

A collector in Switzerland bought another Addedomaros (c. 45 to 25BC) gold stater also for a hammer price of £3,400. It had been expected to fetch £1,000-£1,500.