A rare purse has been found in Jersey, U.K., amid one of the world’s largest hoards of Celtic coins.
Originally discovered in 2012 by two men using metal detectors, the Jersey hoard lies in a field and holds an estimated 70,000 coins. Recently, conservators from Jersey Heritage, which has been removing the coins one at a time for the past 18 months, found a leather purse on site. The purse, which is about the size of an average hand, is an important discovery, said senior conservator Neil Mahrer.
Exciting new coin hoard find @loveheritage @EDDJersey A purse with more coins! #jersey #treasure pic.twitter.com/ptGjE5Zodg
— Murray Norton (@MurrayNorton) April 14, 2016
Mahrer told BBC News: “The really important thing that might change our ideas is when we get to look at the coins themselves as we don’t know the significance of the purse to the people who buried the hoard.”
The previous major find at the Jersey hoard was a selection of gold jewellery, which is shown below in a tweet from Pieta Greaves, an object conservator who worked with the find in December.
Great day in @loveheritage looking at Jersey coin and torc hoard. Fantastic conservation work. @IvychurchPriory pic.twitter.com/vRCWLon7vc
— Pieta Greaves (@PietaGreaves) December 15, 2015
Mahrer added: “Since removing the gold torques we thought we were in a coin-rich area, but seeing this, it looks like we’re in a rich seem of surprises again.”