A rare silver coin from a stolen Viking-era hoard has resurfaced nearly a decade after it vanished, appearing for sale in Croydon, South London.
The discovery has reignited interest in the Herefordshire Hoard — a significant cache of Anglo-Saxon coins and Viking jewellery unearthed illegally by metal detectorists George Powell and Layton Davies in 2015.
The pair uncovered the treasure trove, valued at approximately £3 million, in a field near Eye, Herefordshire. Instead of reporting the find as required by law, they chose to secretly sell items for profit, resulting in their convictions for theft and concealment in 2019.
Powell and Davies, both from Pontypridd, Wales, were sentenced to jail terms after Worcester Crown Court heard they had “stolen from the nation.” Judge Nicholas Cartwright, who presided over the case, emphasized the cultural and historical importance of the hoard, much of which remains missing.
Police were able to recover only 72 of the over 300 coins originally documented in photographs taken by the pair. The rest — more than 230 coins — are suspected to have been trafficked through criminal networks, with investigators believing that many are now in the hands of international organised crime groups.
On Thursday, West Mercia Police confirmed that a coin believed to be from the Herefordshire Hoard had surfaced at a sale in Croydon.
“We have been notified by colleagues at the Metropolitan Police that a coin, believed to be part of the Herefordshire Hoard, has surfaced for sale in Croydon,” said Detective Inspector Ben Pearson. “Enquiries are ongoing to establish how this coin came to be in London.”
Police did not specify the identity of the seller or the venue, but stressed that investigations remain active. “Some of the hoard remains unaccounted for and we remain open-minded as to its whereabouts,” Pearson added. “We will continue to investigate any items that come to light and may be linked.”
Experts say the Herefordshire Hoard, believed to have been buried by Vikings in the 9th century, has transformed understanding of England’s political and economic history during the period. The trove includes Anglo-Saxon silver coins, a gold ring thought to have belonged to a ruler, a crystal pendant, an ornate bracelet, and a gold ingot.
The recovered items are now due to be the centrepiece of a new permanent exhibition at the Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, currently undergoing a £22 million restoration. More than £776,000 was raised to acquire the artefacts and ensure their return to the county.
Damian Etheraads, from Hereford Museum, welcomed news of the coin’s discovery. “We would love to have the missing pieces of this extraordinary hoard returned to their rightful place in Herefordshire,” he said. “The upcoming exhibition is a celebration of our rich past, and every recovered item brings us closer to telling the full story.”
The new exhibition is expected to open once the museum’s renovation is complete, offering the public a chance to view a treasure once hidden underground — and nearly lost forever.
