A haul of Viking coins uncovered during a police raid in 2019 could “change British history”, according to a leading historian. The coins were described as a “nationally important hoard”.
 | 44 coins, which were valued at £766,000, were discovered by police after Craig Best, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, tried to sell some of them in 2018. The coins date back to 879AD under the rule of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and include two extremely rare 'Two Emperor' coins which were issued by King Alfred and Ceolwulf II of Mercia.
Craig Best (left), Roger Pilling (right) were convicted and sentenced to a total of more than 18 years in 2019. It is the legal responsibility of the finder of any precious metal objects that are over 300 years old to report them to the local coroner. |
 | Accounts had suggested Ceolwulf of Mercia as a "puppet" of the Vikings and a minor nobleman rather than a proper King in his own right. However, the 'Two Emperor' coins tell a different story and show two rulers standing side by side as allies and peers. They portray him as a king in his own right and a strong ally to Alfred, rather than a ‘puppet’ for the Vikings as previously thought.
A 'Two Emperor' coin will bring six figures. |
 | Police seized the hoard of coins and a solid silver bar from properties in County Durham and Lancashire during an investigation. The items include coins from the reign of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. King Alfred inflicted a major defeat on the Vikings in AD 878. Experts believe the coins belong to an undeclared hoard from the Viking army at that time. Alfred the Great created a unified kingdom of England. |  Alfred the Great |
Alfred the Great
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