Canterbury-St Martin's hoard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canterbury-St Martin's hoard |
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Replicas of coin-pendants from the hoard, in the British Museum
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| Material | Gold coins and jewellery |
| Size | at least 9 items |
| Created | 4th through 6th centuries AD |
| Discovered | 1840s |
| Present location | mostly World Museum, Liverpool |
The Canterbury-St Martin's hoard is a special collection of old gold coins and jewelry. It was found in the 1800s in Canterbury, Kent, England. These items are from the 6th century, which was a very long time ago!
Most of the hoard, eight items, are now kept at the World Museum in Liverpool. This group includes three gold coins that were made into pendants, meaning they had loops so they could be worn around the neck. One of these is super important: it's called the Liudhard medalet. It's the oldest known coin from the Anglo-Saxons in England. Another coin from the hoard is in a museum in France.
Discovering the Hoard
This amazing collection was found sometime before April 1844. A man named Charles Roach Smith first talked about some of the items in 1844. He said they were found "a few years since."
The exact spot where the hoard was found isn't perfectly clear. Some people say it was found in the churchyard of St Martin's Church. Others believe it was found on the grounds of the St Augustine monastery.
A local resident named W. H. Rolfe bought the items in two parts. He first got three items, and then five more later that year.
Experts have studied the items using special tools like x-rays. Most historians believe the items in the hoard were all buried together. It's thought that these gold coins and jewelry were part of a necklace. This necklace was likely buried in a woman's grave.
What's in the Hoard?
The Canterbury-St Martin's hoard has at least nine known items. Eight of these are at the World Museum in Liverpool. One is in a museum in Paris, France.
Here are some of the cool items found:
- An Italian tremissis, which is a type of gold coin. This one dates back to the time of Emperor Justin II (565 to 578 AD).
- The famous Liudhard medalet. This is a gold coin or medallion from the Anglo-Saxons. It dates from the late 500s.
- A gold coin that looks like an older bronze coin from the 300s. It shows two soldiers.
- A solidus, another type of gold coin, with a person's head on it.
- Two Frankish tremissis coins. These were made in what is now France during the Merovingian period.
- An intaglio. This is a small, carved gemstone that was set in gold. It was made by the Romans.
- A round brooch, which is a decorative pin.
Besides these eight items, there was likely at least one more. This was a coin from Oloron (a place in France) that was also set in a loop. This coin is now in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.
There might have been other items found with the hoard too. But it's hard to know for sure what they were.
Where Are They Now?
Most of the items from the Canterbury-St Martin's hoard are kept at the World Museum in Liverpool, England. The coin from Oloron is in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, France.
After W. H. Rolfe owned the items, they were bought by Joseph Mayer. He then gave them to the City Museums of Liverpool, which later became the World Museum.
