A thousand-year-old collection of Norman coins has been revealed as the earliest form of tax evasion.<\/p>\n
The coins were discovered by detectorists in a field in the Chew Valley, Somerset in January.<\/p>\n
The collection of 2,528 coins was buried in a field during a time of political upheavals, with unpopular leaders and an ongoing conflict with Europe.<\/p>\n
Coins featuring William the Conqueror and King Harold II were discovered in the collection, with the detectorists discovering that a number of the coins showed signs of being tampered with.<\/p>\n
Experts believe that the \u2018moneyer\u2019 (the person striking the coins) was using an older coining tool in order to avoid paying tax on the latest design.<\/p>\n
The coins, which are known as \u2018mules\u2019, could easily be mistaken for legal tender as the average Anglo-Saxon was illiterate, as well as the two kings looking similar.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s money, the collection of more than 2,500 would be worth \u00a35 million and it is likely that they were buried by a wealthy landowner in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings.<\/p>\n
The British Museum is now using the discovery to help understand the impact of the Norman Conquest.<\/p>\n
Gareth Williams, Curator of Early Medieval Coinage at the British Museum, said: \u201cImagine a period of instability with someone in charge of the country that not everybody actively supports and uncertainty in terms of the relationship with the continent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the sort of circumstances in which anyone might choose to bury their money.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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