Roman coins declared 'treasure'

Roman coins declared 'treasure'
By Sophie Barley

A SET of Roman coins, buried in a field near Whitby, have been declared treasure trove.
Two men discovered the 49 coins, dating from AD64 to AD68, and part of a brooch after metal detecting in the field near Ugthorpe.

Russell Willis, from Cleve- land, and Trevor Pye, from Sheffield, found the coins which were declared treasure by coroner Richard Watson.

The friends were staying at a nearby caravan park in July last year and decided to metal detect in the field, owned by Ian Webster.

Mr Willis said: "The owner gave us permission to detect on his land and within
minutes we found a coin. After that we found quite a few more. We them came across the segment of the brooch."

An inquest was held at Norton Court where Mr Watson said the coins belonged to the Crown. It was not revealed how much they were worth.

In 1998 Mr Willis and his brother Jason found 21 coins in the same field, which was once the site of a Roman encampment. They were also declared treasure. Coins were also discovered there more than a century ago.

Mr Watson said: "All of the coins found are part of the same find. They are all treasure and I am also declaring the fragment of the brooch as treasure."

The first set of coins are now kept at the Whitby Museum in Pannet Park.

Honorary keeper Mark Edwards said: The British Museum in London looked at the coins first and we now look after them at the museum.

"We are interested in getting the second set of coins as well."

The full article contains 273 words and appears in Scarborough Evening News newspaper.
Last Updated: 19 March 2008 9:01 AM