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| Men guilty of Anglo-Saxon coin sale plot | Men guilty of Anglo-Saxon coin sale plot |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Both men denied the charges after they were arrested in 2019 | Both men denied the charges after they were arrested in 2019 |
| Two men have been found guilty of trying to sell rare Anglo-Saxon coins. | Two men have been found guilty of trying to sell rare Anglo-Saxon coins. |
| Craig Best, 46, of South View, Bishop Auckland, and Roger Pilling, 74, of Loveclough, Lancashire, had denied conspiring to sell criminal property. | Craig Best, 46, of South View, Bishop Auckland, and Roger Pilling, 74, of Loveclough, Lancashire, had denied conspiring to sell criminal property. |
| The two men, who were first arrested in May 2019 following an undercover police sting, had also denied separate charges of possessing criminal property. | The two men, who were first arrested in May 2019 following an undercover police sting, had also denied separate charges of possessing criminal property. |
| Durham Crown Court heard the coins, valued at £766,000, were not declared as treasure and handed to the Crown. | Durham Crown Court heard the coins, valued at £766,000, were not declared as treasure and handed to the Crown. |
| Both men are due to be sentenced on 4 May. | Both men are due to be sentenced on 4 May. |
| The black market coins that rewrite English history | The black market coins that rewrite English history |
| The coins, which are believed to have been buried by Vikings, are thought to have been part of the Herefordshire Hoard - a multimillion-pound haul of about 300 coins found by two different metal detectorists in 2015. | |
| The two metal detectorists who found the Herefordshire Hoard were sentenced to 18 years for selling the items and not declaring them as "treasure" under the Treasure Act 1996. | |
| Experts say the coins add to understanding of political history in England in the 9th Century | Experts say the coins add to understanding of political history in England in the 9th Century |
| The coins have shed new light on the relationship between two historical figures - Alfred, King of Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. | The coins have shed new light on the relationship between two historical figures - Alfred, King of Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. |
| Det Supt Lee Gosling, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Fantail, at Durham Constabulary said the investigation was "lengthy and complex". | Det Supt Lee Gosling, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Fantail, at Durham Constabulary said the investigation was "lengthy and complex". |
| He added: "This is an extremely unusual case, as it is not very often we get the chance to shape British history. | He added: "This is an extremely unusual case, as it is not very often we get the chance to shape British history. |
| "It is astonishing that the history books need re-writing because of this find. | "It is astonishing that the history books need re-writing because of this find. |
| "These coins come from a hoard of an immense historical significance relating to the Vikings and we are delighted that they are now with the British Museum." | "These coins come from a hoard of an immense historical significance relating to the Vikings and we are delighted that they are now with the British Museum." |
| 'Serious criminality' | |
| Judge James Adkin said the sentencing exercise would be "complicated" as the offence was rare and he adjourned the case until Thursday 4 May. | |
| Remanding them in custody, he told the pair: "You have both been convicted of what I consider to be compelling evidence of serious criminality, in relation to these artefacts. | |
| "You are both aware of what the sentence is likely to be, imprisonment for years." | |
| Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Bishop Auckland | Bishop Auckland |
| Anglo-Saxon Britain | Anglo-Saxon Britain |