A HOARD of Iron Age coins discovered in a field near Hallaton is coming back to Harborough thanks to a £650,000 grant from the National Lottery.
The 5,000 silver and gold coins were unearthed along with an ancient Roman helmet in 2002 and have been undergoing restoration work at the British Museum ever since.
But now, thanks to the grant from the National Lottery, the haul could go on perm
anent display at Harborough Museum.
Peter Liddle, Leicestershire County Council’s senior archaeologist, said he was delighted that the coins were coming home but he stressed that they would not be on display for about 18 months.
He added: “There is still quite a lot of paperwork to do and red tape to cut through and after that we have to think carefully about how we will display the objects.
“We might not be able to do anything permanent until next year, but I would like to hold an open day somewhere in the county in the near future where people can come and look at what has been discovered.”
The coins will also periodically go on tour around other museums in the county.
Mr Liddle said the helmet, which is thought to have belonged to a Roman cavalry officer, is one of the best examples of a find from that period ever to be unearthed in this country.
He added: “I can see it adorning the front covers of a few history books in the next few years.
“The detail on the cheek piece is amazing, it shows a Roman emperor being crowned with leaves while his horse tramples a rather unhappy looking barbarian.”
Mr Liddle said it could be three years before the helmet can be displayed, as it is so brittle that most of it is still encased in the earth it was first found in.
Experts at the British Museum are working on restoring and maintaining as much of the helmet as possible.
