In the most recent on-site grading event at the PCGS offices in Paris, one of the many standout submissions were coins with an interesting pedigree: Trésor D’Huriel. The idea of found treasure is enduring and romanticized across human cultures. From lost artifacts and shipwrecks to buried hoards, the lore and imagination of finding an undiscovered treasure is captivating. Coins from these treasures are often more heavily prized due to the sheer allure of owning a piece of history. So, knowing the pedigree Trésor (or “Treasure,” in English) was something that piqued my curiosity.
The Trésor D’Huriel was a buried hoard of coins from the Carolingian Empire. The hoard was discovered and first referenced in publication around 1905. The coins were found in the region of Huriel, from which the hoard derives its name – an area in the commune of Allier, virtually in the center of France. Believed to be buried between 884-887 AD, the treasure offered a study on coins circulating at this time period. Numismatic study of the hoard was done with coins attributed, recorded, and published.
Many of the coins came from the reign of Charles the Bald, a Carolingian emperor and king who reigned in West Francia between 843-877 and became Holy Roman emperor from 875- 877. He was the grandson of Charlemagne and the youngest son of Emperor Louis the Pious. It was the Treaty of Verdun in 843 that divided the Carolingian Empire between the three sons, which is considered the birth of the map between modern France and Germany. His reign was plagued with challenges and is often seen as the beginning of the end of the Carolingian Empire. From the rise of feudalism and more dependence on Nobility to relentless Viking raids and forced tributes, there are many issues that may have caused wealth to be buried and found over a thousand years later.
Of the several coins graded onsite at the PCGS office in Paris from this treasure, three of them were plated in a published reference for the Trésor D’Huriel. First was a silver obol of King Charles the Bald, dating from 840-877, from the Bourges Mint reference Dep-195 and plate coin #2. Next was another obol, of the same ruler and mint but with reference Dep-199 and plate coin #6. The third was a denier from Charles the Bald 840-877, yet from the Clermont Mint and listed as MG- 1080a and plate coin #16. All three coins were graded AU58 by PCGS and designated with the pedigree “Trésor D’Huriel” on the holder.
Quite often, when a treasure hoard is found it is broken up and the information associated with it is lost forever. With the work done in 1905 amid the survey of Trésor D’Huriel and the owners carefully keeping the coins with their referenced pedigree, it was not lost in this instance. Now, with that pedigree labeled and encapsulated by PCGS, the coins and the pedigree will hopefully be protected for generations to come.