Frome Coin Hoard to stay in Somerset

The Frome Hoard is widely considered one of the greatest archaeological finds in Somerset's history. And the man who found it has said it is only right it will now remain in the county.


Dave Crisp who found the hoard with his metal detector was speaking as a small selection of the 52,503 Roman coins he found last April were returned to the county.


They will go on show later this year in the soon-to-be-opened Museum of Somerset, following a fundraising appeal by museum officials.


Mr Crisp, from Devizes in Wiltshire, found the coins on land owned by Geoff and Anne Sheppard in Witham Friary, near Frome. They will share a sum of £320,250, the value given to the hoard, after it was declared treasure by a coroner in July.


"This is the day we have all been waiting for," said Mr Crisp, revealing he has already splashed out on a small necklace for his wife and a new lawnmower. "There are people who say folk like me should not be allowed the use our detectors with a licence, but I record everything I find and without us you wouldn't get discoveries like the Frome Hoard.


"I have been doing this 22 years and will keep doing it because it is my passion."
Mr and Mrs Sheppard, who gave Mr Crisp permission to detect on their land, said the scale of the find had still only just sunk in.


"When Dave first came up to the farm and said he had found a few coins, we thought it was great," said Mr Sheppard.


"When they uncovered the pot and said it was the largest collection ever found in a single container in the UK, I just thought 'why me?'.


"I love history and we'd always hoped something like this might turn up – it's like winning the lottery."


The £320,000 needed to buy the hoard was raised through donations and grants, following an appeal by the Art Fund and the Museum of Somerset. Another £100,000 has been raised towards conservation work. The largest grant, totalling £294,026, was secured last week from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.


Conservation will now start in earnest and Stephen Minnitt, head of the Museum of Somerset, said it would take pride of place when the attraction opens in Taunton Castle later this year.


"Even when something is declared treasure you still have to raise the money or it will fall into private hands," he said. "We raised more than £13,000 through an event at the Bishop's Palace in Wells and several other grant bids have been successful.


"That means the hoard will stay in Somerset – mostly here in Taunton and some in Frome Museum – but also we can conduct further research into why it was buried. There are still plenty of untold secrets."


Roger Bland, from the British Museum, said the further research could take years.


"We have washed some of the coins but can now start work properly to clean all of them," he said.
"If this collection had fallen into private hands, there was a real danger none of that would happen.
"With funding cuts to heritage and the arts, that could happen more in the future."


Heritage Minister John Penrose said: "Making sure the Frome Hoard stays in Britain is great news, but ensuring it can stay in the very county in which it was discovered is even better.


"The fantastic work of all the organisations involved including the NHMF, along with the generosity of the public, will mean an important part of our Roman heritage will be enjoyed for years to come."
Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: "We are thrilled that the campaign to save the Frome Hoard has been a success.


"The Roman coins will go on display in Somerset and provide experts with the opportunity to carry out vital research. Most importantly it will mean that generations can learn, enjoy and be inspired by the coins.


"It is very much thanks to the generosity of members of the public that we were able to double donations through our match-funding appeal.


"I'd also like to thank the National Heritage Memorial Fund for making the success of this appeal possible. This is an example of private and public funds coming together to save important heritage items."


Along with the unprecedented potential to broaden the understanding of life in third century Roman Britain, this Hoard also challenges the assumption that finds of this nature were buried in order to secure them in uncertain times.


The coins were buried at a time of relative peace, in a large fragile pottery container with a smaller pot upturned on top serving as a lid. Nothing suggests this is a practical way to hide money and experts believe that several large "hoards" of the past will now need to be re-examined to see if their burial is suggestive of ritualistic behaviour rather than concealment.


Mr Minnitt said: "The Frome Hoard has received a tremendous amount of public interest locally and from around the world and I am delighted that the campaign to acquire it was successful.


"Timing is perfect as we prepare for the opening of the Museum of Somerset in the summer of 2011. The story will not end there, however. As the hoard undergoes study over the next year or two many more of its secrets will be unlocked."


Source: Western Daily Press story

Huge Roman Coin Hoard Found in Somerset!

POSSIBLY the largest Roman coin hoard ever to be found in Britain has been unearthed in Somerset.


Metal detector enthusiast Dave Crisp, from Wiltshire, came across the now named ‘Frome Hoard’ of over 50,000 coins during one of his regular metal detecting trips to the Frome area.


The third century coins were found in a large, well-preserved pot – a type of container normally used for storing food.


Dave said: “I have been metal detecting since 1988 and this hoard is the most exciting and important find that I have ever made." Realising that he had found something important, Dave left the hoard where it was and notified Somerset County Council’s Portable Antiquities Scheme straight away. Archaeologists then set about the delicate task of excavating the pot and its contents. The hoard was then taken to the British Museum, so that the coins could be cleaned and recorded. “Leaving it in the ground for the archaeologists to excavate was a very hard decision to take, but as it had been there for 1800 years, I thought a few days more would not hurt. My family thought I was mad to walk away and leave it”, said Dave. Geoff, the landowner, said: “I have always loved history but I never expected anything as important, exciting or old as this to be found on my land.”


The bronze coins range from the mid to late third century and include some unusual finds, including coins of the British usurper Carausius.


Discussions are well underway between Somerset County Council’s Heritage Service and the British Museum, and it has been agreed that subject to funding the hoard should stay in Somerset.


Stephen Minnitt, Head of Museums, said: “This is a find of great national importance. The finder and the landowner will be entitled to a reward and we are determined to raise the sum when it is agreed to retain the hoard in Somerset. Hopefully the coins will be able to go on display in the new Museum of Somerset when it re-opens in 2011.”


Source: www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/8261095.Hoard_of_Roman_coins_unearthed

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