Biggest haul of Roman gold in Britain could have been found

[Viggen]

Britain's biggest haul of Roman gold, worth millions of pounds, could have been found in Worcestershire by a treasure hunter. Details of the treasure remained sketchy and the identity of the lucky metal detecting enthusiast has not been revealed. But it is understood Worcestershire County Council and the county coroner have been informed because of the potential archaeological significance. The treasure, found at Bredon Hill, the site of an Iron Age fort in Worcestershire, is already being compared with the Staffordshire Hoard, the country's biggest ever find of Anglo Saxon gold.

via Telegraph

 

 

 

[Melvadius]

The Telegraph seems to have got a bit carried away as this report from the Evesham Journal makes clear. While very significant in terms of size for finds in Worcestershire it was a silver rather than gold hoard which was found.

 

Again some Kudos should go to the finders for reporting it as soon as they made the discovery which reading between the lines although they may have 'lifted' the pot has allowed a wider excavation of the area to be carried out by archaeologists helping to place the find into its proper context.

 

TWO metal detector enthusiasts have spoken of the moment they uncovered the biggest hoard of Roman coins ever found in Worcestershire.

 

Jethro Carpenter and Mark Gilmore, both from Redditch, have been visiting the area around Bredon Hill for more than 20-years and say despite the discovery of the Bredon Hill Hoard containing 3,784 silver Roman coins they plan to keep hunting.

 

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The news report on the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website here makes it clear why this find is so significant:

 

...Since the exciting discovery, experts from Worcestershire County Council Historic Environment and Archaeology Service (WHEAS) have undertaken an assessment of the site and uncovered evidence of a Roman settlement and found that the hoard was buried nearly a century after it was accumulated - the only known such British example - meaning the Worcestershire hoard is of national significance.

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