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Jersey’s bid to purchase a 2,000-year-old coin hoard discovered in Grouville and safeguard it for future generations has been delayed by a battle over how much should be paid for it, Express understands.
Despite the Treasury Minister announcing two months ago that it was imminently due to be sold for £3m, the Chief Minister confirmed to Express this week that the hoard has been valued more than once, and the process is still yet to be concluded.
Richard Miles and Reg Mead found the clump of Celtic treasure known as Le Catillon II, which includes gold torques, silver coins, gold and silver jewellery, in 2012.
For the finders to be paid, the Government must first make a payment to the hoard's official owner, the Crown. It will then be for the Receiver General - the Queen's Jersey land and treasure representative - to compensate the finders.
Express has learned that the first valuation of the hoard was undertaken by the UK’s Treasure Valuation Committee, an independent body that provides expert advice on items of declared treasure that museums may wish to acquire from the Crown under the UK’s Treasure Act. This was because Jersey does not have its own Treasure Law, despite repeated and longstanding calls to create one by Jersey Heritage.
However, Express understands that the finders also provided their own valuation based on the advice of an independent antiquities expert. This valuation put forward by the finders, who have personally met with Ministers to put their case forward, is understood to be higher than that of the Treasure Valuation Committee.
Pictured: Richard Miles and Reg Mead found the clump of Celtic treasure in Grouville in 2012.
Despite repeated questions from Express over the past two months, the Government has repeatedly refused to explain the reasons behind the delay in agreeing a value and making a payment.
However, on Monday, when Express queried whether the delay had been caused by a dispute between the valuation made by the UK's Treasure Valuation Committee and representations made by the hoard finders, the Chief Minister declined to answer the question, but confirmed the coin hoard had been subject to more than one valuation.
“There has been more than one valuation for the coin hoard and there has been an extensive process for dealing with the valuation of the hoard,” he said.
Senator Le Fondré added that the Government would “provide more information in due course”.
The Government has also refused to confirm whether the figure announced by the Treasury Minister, Deputy Susie Pinel, in the States Assembly in October, £3,000,512, was correct. At the time, she said that the amount – which Express understands was a higher sum than originally discussed – had been agreed with the Crown and that Ministers should have the payment agreed by the end of that week.
The Government has also refused to confirm which department had been leading the work and who had agreed the final figure.
The last time the matter of the Coin Hoard's purchase appears to have been discussed by the Council of Ministers as a whole was in April 2021. It was discussed on their private 'B' agenda, which means that discussions and decisions taken in the meeting remain closed to the public. All Ministers were in attendance, apart from the then-Home Affairs Minister Constable Len Norman, who was represented by his then-Assistant Minister Deputy Gregory Guida, as well as Assistant Chief Minister Rowland Huelin.
Speaking in the States Assembly sitting last month, Senator John Le Fondré expressed frustration over the payment delay, which he said at the time was due to “governance” issues.
He said the delay was linked to “issues around making sure payments of a one-off or special nature need to be dealt with in a very special way”, alluding to the £500,000 exit payment made to former CEO Charlie Parker, which was the subject of criticism as it involved a "technical breach" of Government rules.
The Chief Minister added that officers had been told to “expedite [the payment] as swiftly as they can.”
“I would have hoped to have been in the position of saying this has been resolved before the summer and we’re not there yet,” he said. “It is very much a matter of the i’s being dotted and the t’s being crossed.”
Pushed to confirm when the payment was likely to happen, the Chief Minister said it was “imminent”, as there was one final element to be resolved.
“I am told that it will be during the course of this week,” he told the Assembly, before adding he would remind officers of it “very shortly”.
Pictured: Senator John Le Fondré said there had been "more than one valuation" for the coin hoard.
The Chief Minister said the “implementation of the [coin hoard] payment” had been slowed down by governance and said officers have been told to “expedite this as swiftly as they can."
“I would have hoped to have been in the position of saying this has been resolved before the summer and we’re not there yet,” he said. “It is very much a matter of the i’s being dotted and the t’s being crossed.”
Pushed to confirm when the payment was likely to happen, the Chief Minister said it was “imminent”, as there was one final element to be resolved.
“I am told that it will be during the course of this week,” he told the Assembly, before adding he would remind officers of it “very shortly”.
Last month, Economic Development Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham - under whose portfolio culture and heritage matters fall - pledged that he would bring forward a Treasure Law to give better protection to hidden gems discovered in the island in early 2022.
Gov refuses to confirm payment to Coin Hoard finders
Metal detecting rise prompts plans to protect Jersey's treasures
'Hidden treasure' protection law due next year
FOCUS: Where is Jersey falling short in international heritage agreements?
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