Roslin Hoard

Amateur historian and metal detectorist Jaroslav Musialkowski discovered a cache of 200 silver coins in a possible medieval military camp in the central-eastern lowlands of Scotland. The site is associated with the First Scottish War of Independence and the Battle of Roslyn, in which 8,000 Scottish soldiers led by John Comyn killed more than 20,000 invading English soldiers under John Segrave in 1303 AD. Many of the coins bear the image of King Edward I of England, who ruled from 1272 to 1307, and others are believed to have been minted in Ireland. Archaeologists have also found pottery and other artifacts in the area where the coins were found. Musialkowski believes that the coins may have been intended as payment to mercenaries who fought in the battle. Researchers from the National Museum of Scotland are now examining the coins.