Braddan Medieval Hoard
Date made: Medieval AD 1320
Description: 120 silver pennies found in 2013 were part of a much larger hoard. Coins were first discovered in the 1830s, with further finds in the 1970s. In total, over 300 coins dating to the Medieval period were found in one field. The coins were minted in England, Scotland and Ireland and probably buried in the ground around AD 1320.
The period AD 1265-1333 was an extremely unsettled time for the Island, as it passed between Scottish and English rule. This instability would have led to feelings of insecurity locally and could have resulted in savings being buried for safe-keeping in times of threat, with the intention to reclaim the cash once safer times returned. Whether this hoard represents an individual’s savings or a collection of payments received from others, we may never know. For whatever reason, the owner never went back to retrieve their hoard.
The coins were found in the east of the Island by Lee Morgan and declared Treasure Trove.
Materials: silver
Date found: May 2013
Object name: coin
Collection: Archaeology Collection
ID number: 2015-0029