Half a century ago, an extraordinary discovery unfolded in the fields of Le Câtillon, Grooville, when a cache of over 2,500 Celtic coins, representing various tribes from Armorica, Gaul, and southern Britain, emerged. This momentous find became one of Jersey's most significant archaeological treasures.
The Le Câtillon hoard, dating back to the Late Iron Age (1st century B.C.), was stumbled upon on January 22, 1957, by 17-year-old Peter Langlois while he was in the process of removing a boulder that had impeded his plowing efforts in a Grouville field. The hoard encompassed more than 2,500 coins and pieces of jewelry.
These coins originated from different sources, including Bronze (modern Brittany and Normandy), Belgium, and Britain. The majority of them were attributed to the Coriosolite tribe, centered around the Rance region in the vicinity of modern Saint-Malo and Dinant. Additionally, other Gallic tribes, such as the Osismii, Aulerci Cenomani, Abrincatui, Bayocas, and Redons, were represented, along with British tribes like the Durotriges of Dorset. This diversity in coinage and the wide geographic range they spanned provide compelling evidence of burgeoning trade networks between France and England during this period. The Channel Islands served as convenient waystations for ships traveling the route from Aleta (St. Malo) to Hengistbury (Dorset). This route was a crucial conduit for the transportation of Mediterranean goods, including wine, in exchange for metals, grains, slaves, and hunting dogs.
While few Iron Age sites have been discovered in Jersey, historical records indicate that during this time, Julius Caesar's armies were making their way northwest through France, compelling tribal communities to migrate towards the coast.
For those who buried their wealth during these tumultuous times, it was a safeguard against loss. If the owner passed away before the hoard could be retrieved or if the marker indicating its location was destroyed, treasures like Le Câtillon would remain concealed, waiting to be unearthed.
The coins themselves were crafted by hand and demanded a significant level of technical and artistic expertise. A blank metal disc was positioned on a concave obverse (front) die and then struck with a convex reverse die. These dies were often considerably larger than the blank area, resulting in only a portion of the design appearing on the finished coin.
