Find Spot record MHG2903 - Croy Hoard

Summary

Croy

Location

Grid reference Centred NH 7949 4930 (4m by 4m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NH74NE
Old County INVERNESS-SHIRE
Civil Parish CROY AND DALCROSS
Geographical Area INVERNESS

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Type and Period (1)

Full Description

Centred 7950 4936.

The Croy hoard was discovered in two parts:
Part One was found within a square yard by a girl planting potato drills in the spring of 1875 and was brought to the NMAS in May, 1875. It consists of a silver penannular brooch, dated by R A Smith (A O Curle 1939) to circa 820 AD.; part of a band of knitted silver wire; a silver penny of Coenwulf, King of Mercia AD 796-821; by the moneyer Eanmund; two glass and two amber beads and part of a bronze balance beam, which may possibly be dated to the 8th century (Megaw 1940). At least one other coin and a few more beads were found but were lost by the original finder.
Part two was found by Mr James Shearer, Mains of Croy, in 1875 or 1876 and consisted of a portion of one, and almost half of another, silver penannular brooch; one amber and two glass beads; and a coin originally thought also to be of Coenwolf but re-attributed, quite definitely, by C E Blunt to Athelwulf, King of Wessex AD. 839-858, and is by the moneyer Deineah.
Both parts of the hoard are in NMAS.
The find-spot is about half a mile from Croy Ph Church, on Mains of Croy farm, near the road from Croy (NH 79 49) to Dalcross Castle (NH 77 48) on the summit of a low gravelly ridge, in a field first cultivated circa 1864 AD.
T Fraser and J Anderson 1876; J Anderson 1881; A Ross 1886; A O Curle 1939; C E Blunt 1952; B R S Megaw 1940.

According to Miss Cameron (Moss Cottage, Croy, Inverness-shire) the Croy Hoard was found in the field of Clach na Sanais (NH74NE 11) many years ago. At the time of the find the Laird of Cantray had a replica made of of the silver penannular brooch, which he presented to his daughter on her wedding day. Miss Cameron asserts that there used to be a low gravelly ridge in this field, which is now pasture, and also at the bottom of the field there is a swampy area known as the Moss of Croy, in which another silver brooch of identical pattern and shape as the previous penannular brooch was found "many years ago" by a man digging peat (Information from Mrs MacLennan, Roy Cottage, Croy, Inverness-shire). (There may be some confusion about this last statement by Mrs MacLennan - Miss Cameron being the more reliable authority)
Visited by OS (R B) 21 August 1964.

The hoard is in the collections of the National Museums of Scotland.

The hoard was photographed when on loan and on display at IMAG for the ARCH Ardersier and Hilton Local Heritage Project. <1>

See also <2>

Sources/Archives (13)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Fraser and Anderson, T and J. 1876. 'Notice of a find of silver ornaments, &c., at Croy, Inverness-shire, now presented to the museum. With notes, descriptive pf the object', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 11 1874-6, p.588-92. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 588-92. 588-92; illust.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Ross, A. 1886. 'Notice of the discovery of portions of two penannular brooches of silver, with beads of glass and amber, and a silver coin of Coenwulf, King of Mercia (AD 795-818), at Mains of Croy, Inverness-shire', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 20 1885-6, p.91-6. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 91-6. 91-6; illust.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Blunt, C E. 1952. 'The date of the Croy hoard', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 84 1949-50, p.217. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 217. 211.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Grieg, S. 1940. Viking antiquities in Scotland. 193-4.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Guido, M. 1978. The glass beads of the prehistoric and Roman periods in Britain and Ireland. 195.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Small, Thomas and Wilson, A, C and D M. 1973. St Ninian's Isle and its treasure. 82, 89, 92, 93, 100, 102, 148; pl. xxxviii.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Graham-Campbell, J. 1975. 'Bossed penannular brooches: a review of recent research', Medieval Archaeol Vol. 19 1975, p.33-47. Medieval Archaeol. 33-47. 43.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Udny, J. 1772. Plan of the silver mines of Hilderstoun and Tartraven. 382-5.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Stevenson, R B K. 1968. The Brooch from Westness. 25-31. 30.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1876. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library, with exhibits', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 11 1874-6, p.17-21,81-7,121-3,152-4,172-5,233-5,264-5,328-30,. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 17-21,81-7,121-3,152-4,17. 264.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Curle, A O. 1939. 'A Viking settlement at Freswick, Caithness', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol 73 (1938-39), pp 71-110. p 101.
  • <1> Collection/Project Archive: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). 2013-14. Ardersier and Hilton Local Heritage Project. Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). Yes. Digital.
  • <2> Text/Publication/Monograph: Graham-Campbell, J.. 1995. The Viking-Age Gold and Silver of Scotland (AD 950-1100). Paper (Original). pp. 3-4.

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Record last edited

Aug 4 2015 12:40PM

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