AFTER what has been a truly difficult winter for many, spring has finally returned and with it a delightful surprise for the team at Museums Worcestershire, when a local landowner and metal detectorist generously donated their buried treasure to the collection.

That the hoard of three Roman coins can even be offered to the Museums, amid lockdown delays, is incredible in itself.

It was discovered in Elmley Lovett back in 2019 and reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, where it was judged officially to be ‘treasure’ under the Treasure Act of 1996.

A simple ‘find’ becomes treasure when it comprises more than two coins of greater than 10 per cent precious metal content, from the same findspot and greater than 300 years old.

The Elmley Lovett area is, notably, the site of a later-medieval settlement. It is also not far from Droitwich, an important salt producing town during the Roman period, with salt ways leading off from the town outwards to a network of consumers.

Other Roman finds in the area include pottery and metalwork – so this small hoard of three denarii of the Emperor Trajan, found close together, is most likely the remains of a larger hoard which had been dispersed over the years. Find out more in our online exhibition Roman Worcestershire: On Tracks of Iron and Salt (www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/collections/).

Ordinarily, the coins would have been presented to the Treasure Valuation Committee at the British Museum but lockdowns have prevented the committee meeting in person.

In common with so many other businesses across the country, the committee has adapted – discussing less complicated and more common treasure cases remotely in online meetings and relying on photographs rather than real-life viewings of items.

Museums have the right to acquire treasure by paying a fair reward for it, yet many museums struggle to raise these funds.

The landowner and finder’s decision to waive their reward and donate the hoard is a much-appreciated act of kindness, which came just as we start to look forward to better times.

We are celebrating springtime by opening The Commandery’s gardens and Hartlebury Castle’s grounds for local visitors!

You and the family can make the most of the better weather, with some time in tranquil nature and some gentle exercise, with take-away refreshments available too. Visit www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/ for more information.