This remarkable hoard of rare silver coins, dating back almost 2000 years, has been found in Warwickshire.

But thousands of pounds needs to be raised for the treasure to stay in the county.

The hoard is made up of 440 silver denarii coins and was uncovered during an archaeological dig at a Roman site in South Warwickshire in 2015.

The coins were buried in a ceramic pot over 1900 years ago, under the floor of a building.

This is the second hoard of denarii to be found in this area and this new discovery contains 78 coins dating back to around AD 68.

As with all finds of gold or silver of this date, the hoard was declared Treasure and has since been with the British Museum for formal identification and valuation.

But the Warwickshire Museum Service wants to bring the coins back to the county and now has four months to raise a grand total of £62,000 to acquire the coins.

If successful, they will then be displayed at the Market Hall Museum in Warwick.

Why are these coins so rare?

AD 68-69 was a turbulent time in Roman history known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

In AD 68 the death of Nero sparked a civil war, resulting in four successive rulers in a short span of time: Galba, Otho, Vitellius and finally Vespasian.

As they vied for power, each contender struck their own coins to fund their armies, and these coins are incredibly rare.

Within a roughly 18 month period the title of Emperor changed hands four times.

Very few of these coins from this turbulent time survive.

The second South Warwickshire hoard contains the largest collection of civil war-era coins ever found.

Important find for Warwickshire

Councillor Dave Reilly, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Heritage and Culture says: “This is an amazingly important find for Warwickshire and our Roman past.

"Bringing the hoard back to the county and the Market Hall Museum will mean that Warwickshire’s residents can enjoy them for generations to come.

"The international significance of some of the coins in this hoard will increase visitors not only to Warwick, but the wider county, which can only contribute to our key objective of making the Warwickshire economy vibrant.”

Watch: What to do if you find something you think is valuable

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The race to get the coins home

Applications have already been submitted to major grant givers, and as a condition of the purchase a minimum of £3,000 needs to be raised locally.

To help reach this target a fundraising evening will be hosted at Market Hall Museum on Friday, April 5, at 7pm.

For one night only the pot that the coins were found in and some examples from the previous Roman hoard will be on display, along with other pieces of Roman treasure from the county.

Guests can find out more about this new find with experts on hand to answer questions.

During the evening a raffle and auction will be held with all proceeds going to the campaign, along with all profits from the tickets and the bar.

Tickets cost £20 and include a complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival, and canapés.

Tickets can be purchased from the museum by calling 01926 412500.

Donations are also welcome from all supporters of Warwickshire heritage, and visitors to the Museum.

Donation boxes in Market Hall will be specially re-branded with all proceeds from Friday March 1 to the fundraiser on April 5.

Warwickshire Museum Service is also calling out to local businesses for prizes for the auction and raffle.

Businesses wishing to donate a prize can contact  louisejennings@warwickshire.gov.uk

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