The discovery was made accidentally in 1992 by two friends who were looking for a farmer’s hammer.
In November 1992, a routine search for a lost hammer in a field near Hoxne, Suffolk, unexpectedly led to one of the most important discoveries archaeological surveys ever carried out in the United Kingdom.
What began as a favor between friends ended with the discovery of an ancient Roman treasure, now known as Hoxne’s Treasurevalued at £1.75 million at the time — the equivalent of around £4.7 million (5.4 million euros) today.
The discovery began when the local farmer Peter Whatling lost a hammer on his property and asked his friend for help Eric Lawes to find it. Lawes, a retired gardener and amateur detectorist, agreed to search the field. On November 16, its detector signaled not a hammer, but something much more extraordinary: Roman coins and silver objects buried just beneath the surface.
Rather than continue excavating or attempt to sell the artifacts illegally, Lawes immediately stopped and reported the discovery to local authorities. This decision turned out to be crucial. Archaeologists were able to carefully excavate the site, documenting the exact position of each item and preserving historical information invaluable.
What they discovered was remarkable. Hoxne’s Treasury contained over 15,000 articles, including 15,233 gold, silver and bronze coinsas well as gold jewelry, ornate silver vases, spoons and even personal hygiene utensils from Roman times. Traces of wood, straw and fabric revealed that the objects were carefully packed inside an oak chest with internal compartments, suggesting a deliberate and meticulous burial.
Experts believe the treasure was buried in early 5th century AD. Some coins date back to after 407-408 AD, while many others are decades older, offering insight into how long Roman currency remained in circulation in Britain. The magnitude of the treasure places it among the most valuable collections of precious metals from the end of the Roman period ever discovered in the world, recalls .
Despite studies, the reason for the burial remains unknown. Archaeologists suggest several possibilities: the treasure may have been hidden during a period of political instability at the end of Roman rule in Britain, stored due to changes in economic systems or even accumulated through theft. The identity of its owners, however, has been lost to history.
In 1993, the treasure was officially declared a valuable find. Ownership passed to the Crown, which sold the collection to museums at market value. The amount raised was then awarded to Lawes and Whatling, who split the reward.
