No, it's not a coin. It's what we call 'earth money' - money paid to Mother Earth in exchange for her bounty and protection, deposited during the Iron Age, usually in a watery place (entrance to the underworld) or in a special context, such as hillfort and settlement boundaries, temple sites or rocky outcrops. This Bay-Leaf iron currency bar, 56 cm long, comes from the famous Grantchester hoard of eight currency bars which were tied in a bundle and deposited in the Bourn Brook at Grantchester, Cambs., sometime in the second century BC. This ritual deposition was probably conducted by the local Druid. Bay-Leaf type bars are extremely rare, only nine others are known, including two in museums. Found c.1992-93, ex Chris King collection. A well documented currency bar, conserved by Hollingdale & Goodwin and recorded by the Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. Mounted in specially made display case. Chris Rudd November List.                                                                      31.10.05