The Coigreach was rediscovered in the mid-19th century by the archaeologist Daniel Wilson, who opened it and found St. Fillan's Crozier inside.

[3] It was later thought to be able to heal people and animals, and under the ownership of the Dewars of Glendochart—its hereditary keepers until the mid-18th century—acted as a ceremonial object for oaths of loyalty and dispute settlement, mostly related to the recovery of stolen cattle.

It was found inside the late-14th or 15th century Coigreach (or "Coigrich", sometimes spelled "Quigrich"), an ornamented crosier-shrine built as a protective case to hold what was left of the earlier object.

[6] The Coigreach is made from a bronze base lined with a series of plaques decorated with raised bands of engraved metal ornamented with niello.

Some of the bands have silver gilt and filigree; a number of these elements were removed from the crosier and transferred onto the Coigreach.