▁the ▁late ▁Iron ▁Age ". ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁ho ard ▁of ▁stat ers ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁since ▁the ▁Wh add on ▁Ch ase ▁Iron ▁Age ▁ho ard ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁ho ard ▁was ▁purchased ▁by ▁I ps wich ▁Museum ▁for ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁£ 3 1 6 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁and ▁exc av ation ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁a ▁si xty - year - old ▁car ▁mechan ic — who ▁originally ▁wanted ▁to ▁remain ▁anonymous , ▁but ▁was ▁later ▁named ▁as ▁Michael ▁Dark — found ▁his ▁first ▁gold ▁coin ▁after ▁twenty - five ▁years ▁of ▁metal ▁detect ing ▁in ▁fields ▁in ▁the ▁W ick ham ▁Market ▁area . ▁Dark ▁identified ▁the ▁coin , ▁via ▁the ▁internet , ▁as ▁a ▁Fre cken ham ▁stat er — so ▁called ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁ho ard ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁type ▁was ▁first ▁found ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁ ▁A ▁week ▁later , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁snow fall ▁since ▁his ▁previous ▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁field , ▁and ▁working ▁in ▁sle et , ▁Dark ▁found ▁a ▁further ▁eight ▁gold ▁stat ers . ▁After ▁further ▁searching , ▁he ▁remarked ▁that ▁his ▁metal ▁det ector ▁" s ud den ly ▁went ▁do ol ally " ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁" k new ▁for ▁sure ▁[ he ] ▁was ▁standing ▁right ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁a ▁cro ck ▁of ▁gold ."