Harold II coins, Roman fitting and medieval treasures top UK finds in 2024

Britain saw a record number of archaeological and treasure finds in 2024, the British Museum said, with highlights including a hoard of pennies linked to Harold II, a rare Roman vehicle fitting and a group of early medieval objects found in Wiltshire. Figures released by the museum showed 79,616 finds were recorded in 2024, up from 74,506 in 2023 and 53,490 in 2022.

Finds reported by the public accounted for 94% of the total, and 1,540 treasure cases were reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, an increase of 163 on the previous year. According to the Treasure Act 1996, treasure is any metallic object (other than a coin) with at least 10% by weight in precious metal and at least 300 years old.

Counties with the most Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) finds included Norfolk (7,120), Suffolk (5,410), Lincolnshire (5,133) and Gloucestershire (5,034); Norfolk (138), Hampshire (110) and North Yorkshire (109) recorded the highest numbers of treasure finds. More than 92% of objects were recovered from cultivated land.

The museum showcased a hoard of 179 silver pennies, probably buried on the eve of battle in 1066; the hoard contained only coins from Harold II’s short reign.

Key Topics

Culture, British Museum, Harold Ii, Portable Antiquities Scheme, Wiltshire, Metal Detecting