
Detectorist who tried to sell Anglo-Saxon coins ordered to pay back over £100k
The Crown Prosecution Service
A metal detectorist who tried to sell rare Anglo-Saxon coins for a Saxon hoard has been ordered to pay back the £103,000 from the proceeds of his crimes. Roger Pilling, who was convicted of trying to sell the coins to an American buyer in 2023, was today given a Confiscation Order at Durham Crown Court. Pilling had held 46 Anglo-Saxon coins, which date back to 879AD under the rule of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and include two extremely rare ‘Two Emperor’ coins which were issued by King Alfred and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. Of the 46 coins, which hold particular historical and cultural significance and were valued at over £750,000, 41 were recovered during the original sting operation.