A "hoard" of one plus Gallo-Belgic C (Atrebates) and six plus Gallo- Belgic E (Morini) gold staters from Ryarsh and Offham is listed by Allen who notes that it appears "that the hoard may have been scattered at some date," and goes on to list eight of the coins in Maidstone Museum as follows:- 4 from Golden Piece Field, Ryarsh (Durrell's, late Woodyers, at Aldous). 2 from Chequers Lane Hop Garden, Offham, near the Golden Hop Garden, Ryarsh. 1 from Chequer Field, Offham. 1 from an unspecified site. Mack Nos. 26 and 27 (mentioned as a hoard); Evans types B7 and 8. (1,2,3,4) There would seem to be considerable doubt whether all the coins listed by Allen constitute a hoard. In 1861 Roach Smith (a) exhibited five Iron Age gold coins 'found in a field called the Golden Piece, near Ryarsh, Kent, and now in the possession of the Rev. L.B. Larking.' His description of the coins indicates that there were one Gallo-Belic 'C' (Mack type 26) and four Gallo-Belgic 'E' (three Mack type 27 and one 27A). In 1892 a cataloue of British coins presented to the Kent Archaeoloical Society by Larking (b) lists, amongst others, two coins from Golden Field, Ryarsh, two from Chequers Lane, Offham, and one from Chequers Field, Offham. Three others are listed: one from Sloping Field, Claygate Farm, one from Stony Stile Field, St. Leonards Street, West Malling (area centred TQ 67845656); and the other from Pond Field in the same locality (TQ 67805677). These eight coins (one Gallo-Belgic 'C' and seven Gallo-Belgic 'E') are still in the KAS Collection in Maidstone Museum and are described as the 'Ryarsh hoard' following Allen. They are not now identifiable individually but there would appear little doubt that they are the coins listed in the 1892 catalogue (Maidstone Museum is now prepared to concede this) and therefore they cannot possibly be construed as a hoard. It is conceivable that five listed in 1892 were those exhitited in 1861 but it now seems unlikely that this well ever be satisfactorily resolved. Golden Piece Field could not be identifed during recording of fieldwork but it is presumably in the vicinity of Woodgate, Ryarsh (TQ656596). The owner of Pond Field and Stony Stile Field, West Malling,could offer no further information regarding the coins found there. (5) TQ 6659 Ryarsh, Gold Piece Field, one gold British coins, type QA. (6) Ryarsh, uninscribed gold coins. (7) British gold coins found at Ryarsh donated to the Kent Archaeology Society. (8)

<1> London Univ Inst of Arch Occ Paper no 11 Origins of Coinage in Britain 294-5 286 164 156 (D F Allen) (OS Card Reference). SKE46168.

<2> Coinage of Ancient Britain 1953 13 (R P Mack) (OS Card Reference). SKE39053.

<3> ABC 1864 62 64 (J Evans) (OS Card Reference). SKE32951.

<4> Proc Num Soc 24 1 1861 2-3 (C R Smith) at rear of Num Chron New Series 1861 (OS Card Reference). SKE48717.

<5> Proc Num Soc 1 1861 Appendix 2 (OS Card Reference). SKE48715.

<6> Arch Cant 19 1892 Catalogue 6 (OS Card Reference). SKE34793.

<7> F1 AC 15-APR-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE41805.

<8> Supp Gaz of Celt Coins in Brit 1977 1978 43 (C Haselgrove) (OS Card Reference). SKE49725.

<9> VCH Kent 1 1908 337 (OS Card Reference). SKE50841.

<10> Arch Cant 7 1808 lxi (OS Card Reference). SKE35456.

<11> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 23 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3315.