The World’s Largest Celtic Coin Hoard Is On Display

A new exhibition, organised by Jersey Heritage and called Searching for Jersey’s Celts – Unearthing Le Catillon II the world’s largest Celtic Coin Hoard, is now on display in Jersey. It is housed in the newly refurbished archaeology gallery at La Hougue Bie. The new exhibition explores what might have led people to bury a hoard of 70,000 coins and jewellery in Jersey 2,000 years ago and is expected to remain open for at least two years.

The Jersey hoard was discovered in 2012 by metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles, and excavated by Jersey Heritage. It was valued in 2019 by Elizabeth Cottam, director of Chris Rudd Ltd, and in 2022 the States of Jersey agreed to purchase the hoard from the Crown to the value of £4.25 million, thus securing it for the island and people of Jersey.

Masses of Celtic coins and antiquities, many of which have never been publicly displayed before, are included in the new exhibition. There are more coins, gold neck torcs and metal ingots from the Le Catillon II hoard, as well as a rare leather purse which is the only known Iron Age example of its kind. There are also coins from the Catillon I hoard. Discovered in 1957, a number of the coins from this hoard were sold and scattered around the world. In 2021 Jersey Heritage were able to buy back some of these coins, reassembling what is now believed to be the majority of the coins from this hoard.

If you wish to visit the gallery check the Jersey Heritage website.

Read more about the Le Catillon II hoard.

Chris Rudd wrote an highly interesting article about the Le Catillon I hoard from 1957.

Two years ago Jersey was able to buy 1,600 coins and 35 pieces of jewellery from the 1957 hoard.