Embed CodePlays: 496 (Embed: 0)

JERSEY, UNITED KINGDOM, JUNE 26, 2012:
Neil Mahrer, Conservator for the Jersey Heritage Museum inspects some of the coins uncovered in Europe's largest hoard of Iron Age coins worth up to GBP10 million.

Determined Reg Mead and Richard Miles spent decades searching a field in Jersey after hearing rumours that a farmer had discovered silver coins while working on his land.

They eventually struck gold and uncovered between 30,000 and 50,000 coins, which date from the 1st Century BC and have lain buried for 2,000 years.

The Roman and Celtic silver and gold coins were entombed under a hedge in a large mound of clay, weighing three quarters of a ton and measuring 140 x 80 x 20cm.

Experts predict they are of Armorican (corr) origin - modern day Brittany and Normandy - from a tribe called the Coriosolitae (corr) who were based in the modern-day area of St Malo and Dinan.

They have dated the coins from 50BC, the Late Iron Age, and believe they would have been
buried underground to be kept safe from Julius Caesar's campaigns.