ANCIENT gold coins pre-dating the Roman invasion of the north have been discovered in a farmer's field in Silsden.

Amateur treasure hunter Jeffrey Walbank found the 27 Celtic coins dating back to the 1st century AD, which have been dubbed the Silsden Treasure.

They were found with a metal detector earlier this year. Also found was an iron finger ring.

Some of the coins are particularly unusual because they bear the names of kings that pre-date the Roman conquest.

The laws says an inquest must be held when items such as this are found.

Mr Walbank, 49, of Tufton Street, Silsden, told a Bradford inquest on Tuesday that he felt as though he had "touched time" when he found the coins in August.

The inquest heard that they had been declared treasure trove and would now be valued by the British museum.

They may have found their way to Silsden in the pockets of a Roman soldier because they were from a tribal area in Lincolnshire.

Alternatively, tribal groups from this area might have gone south to fight the Romans and brought the coins back.

Gavin Edwards, an archaeologist at the Manor House Museum in Ilkley described the haul as staggering. "The make-up of the hoard is quite remarkable. It throws open an awful lot of questions," he added.

After the hearing he said: "What makes this find so exciting to archaeologists is the combination of coins and where they were found. The find was completely unexpected in that area. Nothing of this combination has been found before."

Mr Walbank, a hairdresser in Silsden, told the inquest he found a single coin on August 1 and several more the next day.

"I was absolutely in a state of shock," he said. "I couldn't believe it. I just felt that I had touched time."

Mr Walbank, who has been metal detecting for six years, said he hoped the coins would be returned to the area and put on display.

He found the coins in a field over an area of the size of the average sitting room. It took Mr Walbank and his wife, Gill, five months to recover the lot.

"The land in this area is not traditionally ploughed," he added. "Perhaps it was ploughed only a couple of times in 2,000 years - most probably during the Second World War when people were encouraged to grow crops."

Deputy coroner Mark Hinchliffe said: "The Silsden treasure shows coins that are in amazing mint condition. They are, in my view, quite awesome.

"I certainly hope that it would be possible for the people of Silsden to have the opportunity of seeing for themselves this wonderful haul of gold coins."

Gold coins of this era were not used to purchase goods for everyday living. They bought power, influence and allegiance for warlords. Alternatively, they could have been payment to British mercenaries who fought for the Romans in Europe.

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