Coins started to be used in Britain during the later Iron Age, although iron bars and ‘ring money’ were earlier forms of currency. Coinage first circulated from northern Gaul, but British tribal rulers, such as those in nearby Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester), started issuing their own over a hundred years before the Roman invasion. This Treasure hoard is a mixture of Gallo-Belgic and British gold staters (the name comes from Ancient Greek, meaning a weight). Stylised horses and chariots can be seen. Iron Age coins have been found in this field in Sulhamstead over several years. A single gold coin does not need to be reported as Treasure, but two or more coins that are more than 300 years old and contain precious metal do qualify under the 1996 Treasure Act (https://finds.org.uk/treasure).
HER – The Historic Environment Record (HER) is a register of all known archaeological and historical sites in the unitary authority of West Berkshire.
Period: c800 BC – AD 43
Place: Sulhamstead
