The Middleham Coin Treasure Hoard was discovered near Middleham, North Yorkshire, England, and dates back to the English Civil War era. This hoard is notable for its size, consisting of 5,099 silver coins, making it the largest hoard of coins from the Civil War period found to date. It was unearthed in June 1993 by William Cagill, an avid metal detector enthusiast.
Although the coins are referred to as a single hoard, they were actually buried in three separate pots, which were placed in two pits. These deposits took place probably in the late 1640s, with a high likelihood that the same individual was responsible for burying them. Some of these coins are now housed in museums and private collections, with 54 of them being part of the Yorkshire Museum's Numismatic Collection.
William Cagill made this remarkable discovery on June 22, 1993, on the grounds of Cotescue Park, situated on the southwestern outskirts of the small market town of Middleham. Cagill initially found two pots (A and B) and returned two days later to locate the third pot (C).
These pots were discovered within the grounds of Cotescue Park, which was once a royal hunting lodge located north of the town of Coverham, approximately 2 kilometers southwest of Middleham Castle. In the 17th century, Cotescue Park was associated with individuals like Sir Christopher Croft (died 1649) and Adam Loftus, first Viscount Loftus (c. 1568-1643), former Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Edward Loftus, 2nd Viscount Loftus, resided at Middleham Castle until 1644, after which the castle was repurposed as a prison.
The two pots, A and B, were found together, while the third pot, C, was situated about twenty paces to the west. All three pots were covered with castle stone made of local Coverdale sandstone. The coins in pots A and B date from 1645-1646, suggesting a deposit date around 1646. Pot C, on the other hand, contains 10 shilling coins with a late portrait of Charles I, which are not present in pots A or B. Pot C also contains a one shilling coin with a personal "scepter" mark, which was used from 1646 to 1649, indicating a slightly later deposit date, possibly in 1648. The close proximity of pot C to pots A and B suggests that they were all buried by the same family.
These three pots used for burying the coins are all similar types of mid-seventeenth century kitchenware, resembling jars with handles, which were likely used for storing food.
The coins in the hoard include English issues spanning from Edward VI to Charles I, Scottish and Irish coins, as well as coins from Philip IV of Spain and his governors in the Spanish Netherlands, including Archduke Albert and Isabella. Additionally, there are 39 counterfeit coins, mostly found in pots A and B, with some imitating modern English coins and others being copies of Spanish-American reals. The high proportion of Spanish coins in the hoard, including those from the Spanish Netherlands and Spanish America, is a notable feature. These Spanish coins, while making up only 5% of the total number of coins, account for about 20% of the hoard's face value.
The presence of counterfeit coins, particularly Spanish-American reals, suggests that forgeries may have been produced locally, possibly due to the poor minting quality of genuine coins and a lack of familiarity with them among the general population.
