Rare Roman coin hoard to remain in Rochdale thanks to funding

Posted by on 28 Aug 2024

A rare hoard of Roman coins discovered in a field in Littleborough has been acquired for Touchstone’s Rochdale borough cultural heritage collection.

Thanks to generous support from Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Pennines Township, Rochdale Borough Council, the hoard discovered in 2020 will be able to remain in the local area for the community to enjoy.

The stash of 376 Roman coins was found buried in shallow earth, only seven inches below the surface, back in 2020 by two metal detectorists searching a field. The coins date back nearly 2000 years and cover over 120 years of Roman history, as Emperors came and went with the coins remaining as tokens of their rule.

While the coins are an important part of local history, highlighting the presence of Roman activity in the area, the discovery comes with more questions than answers as historians, archaeologists and members of the public alike are left to ponder the mystery behind their burial in Littleborough.

It is not currently known who buried them, why they were hidden, if the owner intended to come back for them or why they remained buried for so long, but when the coins go on display, these intriguing questions will invite visitors to use their imaginations to fill in the blanks and piece together the story of the hoard.

Leanne Manfredi, National Programmes Lead, Victoria and Albert Museum said: “The Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund supports the purchase of a wide range of material for the permanent collections of non-nationally funded organisations in England and Wales. We are delighted that this Roman Coin Hoard has been acquired by Rochdale Arts and Heritage Service via the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme. It will benefit audiences for years to come.”