Hoards of coins on public display

This Celtic "stater" coin is one of the oldest and was found locally

A collection of treasure found across sites in Warwickshire has gone on display to the public.

The hoards of coins, some found by people using metal detectors, date from the 1st Century BC to the 17th Century.

Also featured is the collection of Sir Roger Newdigate of Arbury Hall, Nuneaton, who brought ancient coins back from Europe in the 18th Century.

The display is at Warwickshire Museum in Market Square, Warwick, and opened this month to the public.

Coins include Celtic "staters" which depict cartoon-like horses, an "angel" of Henry VII and heavy Roman coins.

The museum has been able to acquire the finds through the Treasure Act, which means people must report it when they find two or more coins of gold or silver and more than 300 years old.

Dr Stanley Ireland, who helped compile a catalogue of Sir Roger's coins, said: "The stories behind these coins are incredibly engaging.

"Take for instance one Roman coin which shows Caligula on one side, and his sisters on the other. This is in fact a story of incest, murder and cannibalism."