The Coin Hoards of Medieval Kent 1180-1560, a lecture by Dr Barrie Cook
In this lecture Dr Cook will review the 24 recorded medieval hoards from the county of Kent, both those he catalogued himself and older ones, looking at them in their local and national contexts. The South East and East Anglia are the two regions that dominate English hoards throughout the period covered and within the South East Kent and Hampshire dominate the find record, so we will be considering one of the most productive English counties.
Among the hoards covered are notable ones from Seasalter, Palmer’s Green, Ickham (shown on the cover of the first volume), Dover, Meopham, Bredgar, Charing, Maidstone and Deal, running from the reigns of Henry II to Edward VI. Most medieval coin hoards are modest in scale and were hidden, deposited or lost by members of the working rural population – the English peasantry - and by urban workers. Few hoards represent the sorts of sums held by even the moderately wealthy and these stand out: the Meopham hoard, worth £40 at the time of deposition, was about twice as valuable as all the other Kent hoards put together.
The Kentish hoards here will be considered in their time, place and social world. While is is almost never possible to explain exactly why any individual hoard was deposited, they can all be placed is a context of work and life. Dr Barrie Cook was curator of medieval and early modern coins at the British Museum until Spring 2025. Part of his role was the cataloguing of new coin hoards from England from 1180 onwards and he is currently publishing the medieval hoards among these in detail. The first volume, English medieval coin hoards: age of the sterling penny, 1180-1351, containing 186 hoards, appeared in January 2025, and the second, English medieval coin hoards: from the return to gold to the Great Debasement, 1351-1560, with 190 hoards, is due in early 2026.
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The Coin Hoards of Medieval Kent 1180-1560, a lecture by Dr Barrie Cook
Westgate Hall Road
CT1 2BZ
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