A COLLECTION of Roman coins has today gone on permanent display at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum to mark the 2009 Festival of British Archaeology.
The new display consists of some of the 3,854 silver and bronze coins discovered at Alton Barnes, near Marlborough, in 2005.
Amongst the coins are two rare items from the reign of the emperor Tetricus I (AD 271-4), along with the orignial upright greyware jar in which they were buried.
The jar, which was in 70 pieces when excavated, has been painstakingly reconstructed by staff at the Wiltshire Council Conservation Laboratory in Chippenham.
Assistant curator Heather Ault said: “This Roman coin hoard from Alton Barnes is particularly worthy of display and strengthens the museum’s Roman coin collection and material in the Roman gallery enormously.”
For more information visit www.wiltshireheritage.or.uk/collections.
The museum is open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 12noon to 4pm on Sundays.
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