Hidden Anglo-Saxon coins "of great cultural significance" - Durham Crown Court hears
The Anglo-Saxon coins hidden by a viking which were at risk of being sold to the US were of great cultural significance, a court heard.
A jury at Durham Crown Court has heard how a hoard of ancient, Anglo-Saxon coins - hidden by a Viking - which were at risk of being sold to the US, were very important to our history.
Collectors Craig Best and Roger Pilling deny conspiracy to sell criminal property, namely 9th century Anglo-Saxon minted coins which had not been declared as "treasure" and therefore had not been handed to the Crown, jurors were told.
Matthew Donkin, prosecuting, said jurors will receive a history lesson to help them understand the case.
Mr Donkin said they will hear from Dr Gareth Williams, an expert in early medieval coins at the British Museum.
One of the coins in Best's possession when he was arrested was an extremely rare two-emperor style coin featuring Alfred and Ceolwulf.
The prosecuting barrister said: "Dr Williams' opinion is that the coins in this case are extremely significant for our understanding of the history of the unification of England.
"Our 9th century history was almost exclusively written at the Court of Alfred of Wessex and his successors.
"At this time, the previous kingdoms of England such as Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria were the subject of viking invasion but the West Saxons fought back and gradually claimed their own authority and control of the invaded lands.
"Contemporary historical records are predominantly Saxon and they portray Alfred as the Great and other contemporary rulers as lesser than him.
"The other ruler on the Two Emperor coin, Ceolwulf II is portrayed dismissively by the Saxons and as a puppet of the vikings, but the finding of these coins shows something else.
"They demonstrate a monetary alliance between Alfred and Ceolwulf, which must have followed a political alliance between two rulers and the two kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia.
"This is a matter that Dr Williams' reports on and which demonstrates the cultural and historical significance of these coins and the value they have in identifying the history of this country."
Jurors were told the two-emperor coin would typically be used by vikings and not Anglo-Saxons, indicating the hoard came from one of them.
The Crown does not allege that either of the defendants, who were both interested in metal detecting, made the find themselves.
It was believed the coins were made between 874 and 879 and were buried by a Viking during this particularly violent period of English history.
Best, 46, from South View, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and Pilling, 74, from Loveclough, Lancashire, also deny individual charges of possessing criminal property - the same coins.
Best had taken three coins to a meeting at a hotel - including one of the exceptionally rare Alfred and Ceolwulf examples which itself was worth Ă‚ÂŁ70,000 - with undercover officers he thought were part of a team brokering a deal with a US-based buyer.
Uniformed officers then swooped in to arrest him and handcuff him in the Royal County Hotel, Durham, Matthew Donkin, prosecuting, said.
Police then raided Pilling's home in Lancashire and recovered a further 41 coins from the hoard, bringing the total to 44.
Jurors were told police recovered an image from Pilling's home showing 46 coins in total, meaning two remain missing.
The prosecution allege Best and Pilling were in a conspiracy to sell the coins, despite knowing they came from a hoard and should have been declared as treasure and handed over to the Crown.
In 2018, Best had made contact with a US-based Professor Ronald Bude who had an interest in ancient coins, and tried to interest him in buying some, including an "Alfred penny".
Prof Bude was not sure they were real and contacted another UK-based expert and, as word got around about the availability of extremely rare coins, the authorities were contacted and the undercover operation was mounted, the court heard.
Best also told the professor that the coins were "big money" and that he should fly over to the UK to see them him for himself.
When Prof Bude asked Best where they came from, in an email Best replied, "near Worcester".
Mr Donkin told the court that the Herefordshire Hoard was found in Leominster, some 30 miles from Worcester.
After he failed to sell the coins to Professor Bude, Best moved on to try to sell the collection to the fictitious US-based buyers - who were really undercover police officers, the court heard.
The trial continues on Wednesday.