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Hoard: the collection contains over 200 items
A 1,100-year-old hoard of silver jewellery, ingots and coins bearing the name of a previously unknown Viking ruler was unveiled today at the British Museum.
The collection, containing more than 200 items, was discovered in a lead pot by metal detector enthusiast Darren Webster.
It is being assessed by experts, who will advise on whether it should be declared treasure at an inquest on Friday. Experts said the preliminary examination suggested the finds, in the Silverdale area of northern Lancashire in September, were similar to objects in another well-known Viking silver hoard from the county.
The Cuerdale hoard was found in 1840 and the largest part is kept at the British Museum. Both hoards were buried at about the same time, around 900AD, when the Anglo-Saxons were trying to gain control of northern Britain from the Vikings.
The newly-found coins are a mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Viking, German and Islamic. One silver denier, left, bears the name Charles. Others bear the name Airdeconut, a Viking ruler in northern England.
