News release
For immediate release
2 December 2024
Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums charity have today (Monday 2 December) launched a fundraising campaign to save the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard for the County.
The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard, unearthed late last year, is one of the largest coin hoards of the Roman Conquest period (circa AD 43–84), and the largest hoard of the reign of Nero, ever found in Britain. Its burial date of circa AD 55 places it right at the beginning of Roman Britain. The Hoard was discovered by members of the public and reported as Treasure via the Portable Antiquities Scheme. It was declared Treasure by the Coroner for Worcestershire in June 2024.
The Hoard consists of 1,368 Iron Age and Roman gold and silver coins, which were gathered into a pot and buried in the ground in the Leigh and Bransford area of Worcestershire. The Hoard is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Worcestershire in the last 100 years.
Most of the coins are silver denarii, minted in Rome and dating from the time of the Roman Republic in 157 BC up to the reign of the emperor Nero (AD 54–68). The sole gold coin is an Iron Age stater, which was minted for the local British tribe, the Dobunni, in AD 20–45 who were in the area now known as Worcestershire and neighbouring counties to the south and west. It is likely that the pot that contained the coins was made at one of the pottery kilns based at the foot of the Malvern Hills.
The coins almost certainly entered the region by means of the Roman army. Their sheer number means that the hoard would have represented a very considerable sum of cash at the time it was buried. One theory is that the hoard represents the savings of a wealthy local farmer, who made his money by supplying the Roman army with grain and livestock.
The hoard was assembled and buried during a brief moment in time when Worcestershire lay right at the edge of an expanding Empire, which stretched from the Near East and North Africa up to the River Severn and the Malvern Hills.
Museums Worcestershire is very keen to acquire this significant hoard to ensure it can be seen and enjoyed by the residents of the county for years to come. Fundraising is being led by Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums charity, which hopes to raise around £6,000 towards the cost of purchasing the Hoard, which is expected to be valued upwards of £100,000. It is hoped the remainder of the cost will be met through grant funding applications. If the money cannot be raised, the Hoard will be returned to its finders and/or the landowner and would be unlikely to ever go on public display.
Chair of the Trustees of Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums charity, Caroline Naisbitt says “The charity is extremely excited to be heading up this campaign to raise funds to keep this extraordinary Hoard in the County. We hope people will dig deep in their pockets and make sure the Hoard can be enjoyed in Worcestershire for years to come.”
Chair of the Joint Museums Committee, Councillor Karen May says: “What a fantastic find and so important for anyone wishing to understand more about the county’s heritage. This is real Worcestershire treasure, and it needs to be seen and enjoyed by Worcestershire residents for generations to come.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation to help keep the Conquest Hoard in Worcestershire, can do so online at www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk or via the donation station in Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum. All donations will go towards saving this important Hoard for the people of Worcestershire.
The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard will be on temporary display in the Art Gallery & Museum in January.
ENDS
2 December 2024
Notes to Editors
The Hoard is pending consideration by the independent Treasure Valuation Committee, who will recommend a value for it to the Secretary of State. In order to acquire the hoard, Museums Worcestershire will be responsible for raising that money, which will be used to fund the reward for the finders and landowner.
For further information please email Helen Large, Museum Audience Manager, Museums Worcestershire: Helen.Large@worcester.gov.uk
Images of the coins are attached for your use:
The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard
Chair of WHAM Caroline Naisbitt launches campaign to save the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard
Interviews are available with the following:
Deborah Fox, Senior Curator, Museums Worcestershire
Caroline Naisbitt, Chair, Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums charity
Dr Murray Andrews, Lecturer in British Archaeology, UCL Institute of Archaeology and advisor on The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard.
Susheela Burford, Finds Liaison Manager, Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS)
Please contact Helen.Large@worcester.gov.uk to arrange interviews / photographs
More information: www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk