Archaeology breakthrough as ‘fascinating’ 15th-century treasure trove found

Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson unearthed the stash of 30 medieval coins in the tiny Scottish village of Cappercleuch while scouring the land with metal detectors.

Five more artefacts were found during subsequent excavations of the site, with the overall haul a mix of coins including English silver groats minted by King Henry V (1413-1422) and King Edward IV (1461-1483).

Scottish gold demys and half-demys minted by Kings James I (1406-1437) and King James II (1437-1460) were also uncovered.

The coins were likely left at the site in the early to mid-1460s, the Crown Office’s Treasure Trove Unit (TTU) said during an announcement on Wednesday. 

“Lisa and I have been lucky enough to have found some wonderful artefacts while metal detecting, but nothing quite prepared us for a find like this,” Mr Young said.

“Hopefully the hoard will go on public display for others to enjoy.”

Ms Stephenson described the discovery as “the find of a lifetime” and described the ensuing excavation by the National Museum and Treasure Trove team as “an amazing experience [that we will] never forget”.

While coin hoards with a mix of Scottish and English artefacts aren’t necessarily unusual, 15th century hauls are rarely uncovered in Scotland, Antony Lee from the TTU said. 

“It’s a fascinating find,” he added. 

After unearthing the coins in November 2024, Mr Young and Ms Stephenson reported them to the unit, which assesses all archaeological finds in Scotland.

“Keith and Lisa acted promptly and correctly in reporting it to us,” Mr Lee said.

“In turn we, along with archaeologists from National Museums Scotland, were able to attend and excavate the site, finding five more coins and documenting the circumstances of the hoard alongside the finders.”

The haul will then be referred to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel, an independent panel which will assign the coins a monetary value, to be paid out to the finders.