Metal detectorists have discovered a pile of gold coins scattered in an open field on Anglesey, an island in Wales, making it the first find of the country’s Iron Age currency.

The 15 well-preserved coins minted between 60 and 20 BC are known as staters and were common currency in ancient Greece.

The design of each coin is World War II, which depicts a bust of Apollo on the obverse and a chariot and charioteer with two horses on the reverse (on the other side). It is highly stylized, derived from Philip’s Macedonian gold coins. On the front of these staters, the wreath and hair of Apollo, on the reverse, a stylized horse with a triangular head and various symbols around it are depicted. These symbols are the main distinguishing features for separating coins into different types.

They were probably used by the Corieltawi tribe who lived in this area during the Iron Age.

After gradually discovering the coins between July 2021 and March 2022, metal detector experts reported it to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, an organization run by the British Museum and Museum of Wales. Authorities this week declared the find a “treasure”.

“Finding the gold stater has always been number one on my wish list,” one of the metal detectorists Lloyd Roberts said in a statement. “We are delighted to discover that this is the first hoard of Iron Age gold coins found in Wales.”

Although experts from the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, an organization that provides archaeological services for Wales, are not sure how the coins got to the site, they do know that they were minted at three different mints in what is now Lincolnshire, a county in England. .

Coins from this period are incredibly rare to find in Wales, as the Iron Age tribes in the region generally did not use currency. Experts believe the coins may have been used as offerings to the gods, based on previous research showing that the island was an “important religious center” from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD.

“This succession is a wonderful example of the rich archaeological landscape that exists in North West Wales,” officials said in a statement. “While the find’s close location does not provide any clue as to its origin, the site is located in an area of ​​known prehistoric and early Roman activity, helping to improve our understanding of the area.” The coin collection will be displayed at Oriel Môn, a museum and gallery in Anglesey.