Eight fascinating treasure finds from Powys

The objects were all discovered by metal detectorists and include three gold and silver coin hoards, finger rings and personal items owned by wealthy members of Welsh society from the 9th to the 17th centuries AD.

Assistant Coroner for South Wales Central, Thomas Atherton, declared the items as treasure during an inquest held on Monday, March 29.

Late medieval silver-gilt finger ring found in the Tregynon area
Late medieval silver-gilt finger ring found in the Tregynon area. Picture: National Museum Wales

The late medieval silver-gilt finger ring was found in the Tregynon area by Paul Norton, from Staffordshire, on June 27, 2019.

It is decorated with quatrefoils and a lopped motif sometimes known as a ‘Solomon’s knot’. 

National Museum Wales in Cardiff hopes to acquire this finger ring for the national collection.

Post-medieval gold posy ring found in the Talgarth area

Post-medieval gold posy ring found in the Talgarth area. Picture: National Museum Wales
The post-medieval gold posy ring was found on farmland in the Talgarth area by Martin Arnold while metal detecting on August 30, 2018.

The highly polished ring is engraved inside the hoop with the motto ‘be Constant to the End’.

It is late 17th or early 18th-century in date. 

Y Gaer Museum, Art Gallery and Library, in Brecon, hopes to acquire this posy ring.

Post-medieval gold finger ring found in the Carreghofa area
Post-medieval gold finger ring found in the Carreghofa area. Picture: National Museum Wales

The gold finger ring from Carreghofa was found by David Balfour on March 23, 2019.

It is a memento mori ring with a flat bezel engraved with a death’s head (a skull), inlaid with traces of white enamel, surrounded by the inscription: + Memento Mori, in small neat italic script. 

The inscription, the ring form, style of the engraved skull and neat italic lettering indicate that this ring dates between 1550 and 1650.

National Museum Wales hopes to acquire this artefact for the national collection. 

Dr Mark Redknap, Deputy Head of Collections and Research, said: "This is a rare example of a Tudor or early Stuart memento mori ring with a clear Welsh provenance. 

"Its sentiment reflects the high mortality of the period, the motif and inscription acknowledging the brevity and vanities of life. 

"This discovery increases our knowledge of attitudes to death in early modern Wales.”

Medieval silver annular brooch found in the Montgomery area

Medieval silver annular brooch found in the Montgomery area. Picture: National Museum Wales

The medieval silver annular brooch was found in a field in the Montgomery area by Christine Redmond. 

On the basis of its size and design, it is from the 13th to mid-14th Century. 

Brooches with similar forms have been found in deposits in London dated around 1270-1350, and there occur across Wales. 

The Old Bell Museum in Montgomery hopes to acquire this brooch.

Tudor silver coin hoard found in the Churchstoke area
Tudor silver coin hoard found in the Churchstoke area. Picture: National Museum Wales

A group of five silver coins comprising four groats and a Burgundian “double patard”, was discovered by Aled Roberts and Graham Wood in May 2019, while metal detecting in the Churchstoke area of north Powys.

This small hoard was buried in about 1530 during the reign of Henry VIII, whose portrait features on three of the coins.

Y Lanfa Powysland Museum and Welshpool Library hopes to acquire this coin hoard to contribute to the museum’s collection, which does not yet include examples of locally found 16th Century coins.

Centre Manager, Saffron Price said: "It would be wonderful to have these coins within the museum’s collection an to put them on display for the public to enjoy”.

Early medieval silver double-hooked fastener found in the Churchstoke area
Early medieval silver double-hooked fastener found in the Churchstoke area. Picture: National Museum Wales

The early medieval decorated silver double hooked fastener was found by Stuart Fletcher in the Churchstoke area on April 12, 2019.

The stylisation of the debased zoomorphic motifs show that this is Anglo-Saxon work belonging to the ninth century, and it was probably used to fasten an upper garment, as functional costume jewellery.

The National Museum Wales hopes to acquire this artefact for the national collection. 

Dr Mark Redknap, Deputy Head of Collections and Research at the National Museum Wales, said: “This unusual object is the first ‘Anglo-Saxon style’ double-hooked fastener to be identified in Wales. 

"Reflecting the status of the original owner, it provides new evidence for the exposure of Anglo-Saxon styles within the early Welsh kingdoms, and of the melting-pot of styles and influences from which Welsh identity was to emerge.”

17th century gold coin hoard found in the Trefeglwys area 
17th century gold coin hoard found in the Trefeglwys area. Picture: National Museum Wales

​The 17th Century coin hoard was found in the Trefeglwys area by David Nicklin, Tony Taylor and Graham Wood in May 2019.

The group includes two gold coins of James I (1603-1625) and a gold coin of Charles I (1625-1649) and was probably buried during the turmoil of the English Civil War (1642-1651). 

Y Lanfa Powysland Museum and Welshpool Library hopes to acquire this coin hoard.

Medieval gold coin hoard found in the Llanwrtyd Wells area
Medieval gold coin hoard found in the Llanwrtyd Wells area. Picture: National Museum Wales

Three medieval gold coins were found by Chris Perkins and Shawn Hendry while metal detecting in the Llanwrtyd Wells area in April 2019. 

The coins are “nobles” from the reigns of Edward III and Richard II (1327-1399), with a total value of 20 shillings, about 50 days’ wages for a skilled tradesman.

They were probably buried for safekeeping around the end of the 14th Century but were never recovered by their owner.

The newly opened Y Gaer Museum, Art Gallery and Library, in Brecon, hopes to acquire this exciting hoard for its new galleries.

Senior Curator Nigel Blackamore said: “Very few gold coins have been discovered within south Powys, so we would welcome the possibility of adding these to Museums new medieval displays.”