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Actions Displays	Details Remove from selection Add to selection Object number COLNH:2025.2 Institution name Colchester Collections Object name gold, gold dust Description Gold dust is made up of very small nuggets of native gold.This specimen is included in the Mythical Creatures exhibition as part of the dragon's hoard. According to some legends, dragons were known for hoarding treasure and they especially had a love of gold. This originated in early medieval stories. One account from the poem Beowulf describes the theft of a golden cup from a dragon’s hoard. The dragon, in anger at their treasure being stolen, destroyed the nearby town. This object is part of the West African Gold group as it features in the Hidden Histories display in Colchester Castle. Gold dust like this was used as currency in medieval West Africa. Subject Geology Tags Comments Add tag(s) Add comment

Object number

COLNH:2025.2
Institution name

Colchester Collections
Object name

gold, gold dust
Description

Gold dust is made up of very small nuggets of native gold.This specimen is included in the Mythical Creatures exhibition as part of the dragon's hoard. According to some legends, dragons were known for hoarding treasure and they especially had a love of gold. This originated in early medieval stories. One account from the poem Beowulf describes the theft of a golden cup from a dragon’s hoard. The dragon, in anger at their treasure being stolen, destroyed the nearby town. This object is part of the West African Gold group as it features in the Hidden Histories display in Colchester Castle. Gold dust like this was used as currency in medieval West Africa.
Subject

Geology

Details