The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard, the largest ever hoard of Roman coins dating back to emperor Nero to be found, is now on display in Worcester and people have flocked to see the ‘once in a lifetime’ find.
The 1368 coins were discovered in the Leigh and Bransford area, west of Worcester and are expected to be valued at more than £100,000.
Deborah Fox, senior curator at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum said: “The coins date from between 157BC and 55AD and it’s a colossal amount of money.
“The coins span a number of years and would have been roughly seven years pay for a Roman soldier.
“It is the largest neroniam hoard ever found in the Roman empire and it puts Worcester right in the middle of the Roman history books.
“It was buried right on the edge of the empire and we suspect it was a payment for something probably to do with the military or for supplies.
“The display doesn’t start until tomorrow (January 11) and we have already had to turn people away, I think people really feel like it belongs in the county.
“The hoard belongs to the crown who have very kindly let us display it and so far we have raised over £8,000 but we are appealing for more so we can acquire it or else the hoard will be returned to the landowner and finders.
“We are expecting it to be valued between £100,000 and £200,000 at the end of April so we understand this is no small task.
The coins consist of 1,367 silver Roman denarii coins and a single gold iron-age stater.
The display is free to enter, located at The Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, and ends on March 30.
Colin Bunce, who was visiting the display, said: “It’s a very good day to see the display as it’s very cold and foggy.
“It’s a good little place and the coins are a recent find from somewhere very local.
“It’s a nice little exhibition that shows the history of the Roman conquest in Britain.
“I’m also glad they have large pictures of each coin so everyone can see their intricate details.”