Rare silver coins from 11th century discovered in England

October 5th, 2009 LONDON - A rusty iron helmet that may be the only surviving relic of the 11th century 'Battle of Stamford Bridge', which was one of the most decisive battles in English history, has been found in Midlands antiques shop. According to a report in the Times, a label on the helmet suggests it was fished out of the River Derwent at Stamford Bridge, where King Harold Godwinson defeated Viking invaders in 1066 before he was beaten by William the Conqueror at Hastings.

September 24th, 2009 LONDON - An amateur treasure hunter has unearthed the largest-ever amount of gold and silver from the Anglo-Saxon period found in Britain, archaeologists said Thursday. Terry Herbert, 55, came across the hoard as he searched fields near his home in Staffordshire, central Britain, in July, using his trusted 14-year-old metal detector.

September 14th, 2009 LONDON - A coroner has declared the discovery of a collection of Roman, Bronze, and Iron Age artifacts discovered in Crow Country, UK, as treasure. The items, which were originally dug up from a site in Ashwell in 2003, include the silver base of a Roman figurine, pieces of armour dating back to the Iron Age, and hundreds of coins and bone fragments.

September 3rd, 2009 SOFIA - A team of archaeologists has discovered the relics of a medieval saint at the fortress of Perperikon in the Rhodoppe Mountains in Bulgaria. According to Sofia News Agency, the remains of human bones were found inside one of two bronze crosses as the archaeologists were excavating two churches.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - A team of archaeologists has unearthed rare 15th century Valencian tiles during excavations at the ruins of a Surrey palace, once owned by Henry VIII. According to a report by BBC News, the items, which were made in Valencia, Spain, between 1450 and 1490, were discovered at Woking Palace.

August 18th, 2009 JERUSALEM - An Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation in the City of David, Israel, has revealed a large third century CE building, which is apparently a large mansion. The spacious edifice from the Roman period (third century CE) - apparently a mansion that belonged to a wealthy individual, was uncovered in excavations carried out in the 'Givati Car Park' at the City of David, in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park.

July 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of archaeologists in Bulgaria has discovered a 13th century monastery, as well as a 30-gram silver ring from medieval France. According to a report by Sofia News Agency, the team of archaeologists, led by Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, discovered the part of a wall and medieval coins within it that are dated from 1210 to 1240, in the yard of the St Peter and St.

July 15th, 2009 Rare 1502 hymnal given to UK university libraryLONDON — A church is donating a rare 1502 hymnal to a Manchester University library, where church members say it can receive better care. The Latin hymnal was published in London by Wynken de Worde, who was among the first to popularize printed works.

July 15th, 2009 ROME - The world's largest haul of ancient coins, which was discovered in Rome, has been restored. The 108,000 Roman coins were found by chance in Libya in 1981, but were in such poor condition that it has been impossible to adequately restore them until recently.

July 8th, 2009 LONDON - An archaeological dig at the heart of Cambridge University, UK, has revealed Roman pottery, medieval remains and 11th Century dog bones. According to a report by BBC News, the dig has been taking place beneath a tearoom in the university's central offices, known as the Old Schools.

July 4th, 2009 LONDON - A punter was left ecstatic after he was handed out a rare undated 20p coin worth more than 7,000 pounds in change for his pint. Lloyd Hefferman had been with his friends at The Botolph Arms pub in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, when bar staff gave him the coin, which was amongst others mistakenly released by the Royal Mint in Cardiff last year.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Archaeologists have unearthed more than two tonnes of ancient coins dating back to as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) on a playground of a primary school in Shaanxi Province, northwest China. According to Zhao Aiguo, director of the cultural relics protection and tourism bureau in Liquan County, Shaanxi, the coins were found when workers were excavating the grounds for construction of another building.

June 9th, 2009 LONDON - Henry VIII has been immortalised in coins to honour five centuries since he became the King of England. Image of the royal would appear on five new coins made in different metals from cupro-nickel to platinum.

June 5th, 2009 LONDON - A 16th century gold crucifix that was found in North Nottinghamshire (Notts), UK, along with a silver whistle dating back to the same period, have been declared treasure. According to a report in the Evening Post, the crucifix was found in the Tuxford area on August 21 with the use of a metal detector.

April 16th, 2009 LONDON - Archaeologists are all set to search three sites in Egypt that they say may contain the tomb of doomed lovers Anthony and Cleopatra. According to a report by BBC News, excavation at the sites, which are near a temple west of the coastal city of Alexandria, is due to begin next week.