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Roman ring and medieval coins declared treasure

NAtional Museum Wales Roman ringNAtional Museum Wales
The Roman ring dates back to the 2nd or 3rd Century

Seven coins and a Roman ring that were found by three metal detectorists have been declared treasure.

The ring, found in Newport in October 2017, is decorated with a pattern representing a palm branch. It dates back to the 2nd or 3rd Century.

The coins were unearthed by different detectorists in Monmouthshire.

Five coins dating back to the reign of Edward III were found in Grosmont, while two silver Tudor groats were uncovered in Llantilio Crossenny.

All eight objects were declared treasure on Friday by Gwent coroner Caroline Saunders.

According to the council, Newport Museum is to display the ring, which was discovered by Peter Barnes in the Graig area of the city.

National Museum Wales Five medieval coinsNational Museum Wales
The medieval coins represented about three weeks' wages

The five gold and silver coins found in Grosmont were unearthed by Mark Hackman. They were minted in London between 1344 and 1369.

The coins would have been worth about nine shillings in the 14th Century - about three weeks' wages for a skilled tradesman and enough money to buy a cow.

The groats, minted during the reign of Mary I (1553 to 1558), were found by Darren Jessett. They had been deliberately folded into a Z-shape, suggesting they may have been used as love tokens.

Debbie Harvey, from Newport Council, said: "The ring is a good addition to Newport Museum's nationally significant Roman collections and will be placed on display alongside examples from Caerwent and Caerleon."

NAtional Museum Wales Coins of Mary INAtional Museum Wales
The coins from Mary I's reign had been bent, suggesting they may have been used as love tokens

Abergavenny Museum is interested in acquiring the coins.

Spokesperson Rachael Rogers said: "These objects have such interesting stories attached to them. Were they deliberately hidden or accidentally dropped?

"Acquiring the coins for our collections allows us to understand more about the people who once lived in the local area and tell their stories for our visitors."