A Real Treasure: Anglo-Saxon Gold Coin Goes On Show

The British Museum showed off the newest treasure in their collection today - a very special Anglo-Saxon coin.

The coin is more than a thousand years old. It's made of gold and shows a king called Coenwulf on one side.

Coenwulf was very powerful. He ruled an area known as 'Mercia' to the Anglo-Saxons, a large part of modern-day England, from 796 to 821. Can you find his name in this picture?

© Trustees of The British Museum.

The coin was found near Bedford in 2001 by a metal-detectorist. It's taken until now for the Museum to raise enough money to buy it. They had to pay £357,832 - making it the most expensive British coin ever!

So why is it important? Well - coins like this are extremely rare. This is one of only eight coins dating back to this time in history that have ever been found. Plus, it's in almost perfect condition, making it even more valuable.

Coins are full of useful information. Coenwulf's picture, the flower symbol, the inscriptions (letters), even the weight and the way the coin was made are all clues for historians to decipher.

This picture shows the other side of the coin. Can you spot the name of a city?

© Trustees of the British Museum.

The coin goes on display at the British Museum on 9 February 2006 in their Money gallery.

There are lots of other Anglo-Saxon treasures in the British Museum. You can see them and play an Anglo-Saxon quiz on their Children's Compass website.

If you want to find out more about Anglo-Saxons take a look at Show Me's Anglo-Saxon page where you'll find games, ideas for makes and web links.