THE Long Cross Coin Hoard, as well as other fabulous archaeological finds from the county, can be viewed at the Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle.

The County Museum is the base for the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in the Midlands, and it is from here the finds liaison officer meets with finders such as metal detectorists to identify and record small archaeological finds like this hoard.

The image shows 66 English silver coins of the Long Cross coinage: 30 whole pennies, 29 cut halfpennies and 7 cut farthings; in addition there is one coin from the English king’s Irish coinage and one from the European mainland, a brabantinus of the dukes of Brabant.

This hoard of coins was recovered by a metal detectorist in 2013.

Although Long Cross coinage was in the name of Henry III, it continued to be struck several years into the reign of Edward I.

The English and Irish coins in this group would all have been in currency at the same time – most date to around the mid-1270s, and would have been deposited around this time.

There are various reasons coins like these would have been deposited; perhaps a purse loss, or maybe storing them at a time of unrest in the hopes the owner would return and collect them later.

For further details about this hoard, to learn more about the PAS scheme, and for advice on reporting finds, please visit https://finds.org.uk/ .

Hartlebury Castle will reopen to visitors on February 1. Visit and explore floors full of history, as well as an exciting new exhibition, Captivating Costume: Three Centuries of Fashion.

Plan your visit and find information about upcoming events at the website, hartleburycastle.com.