Jersey Iron Age coin hoard sets world record

Two men who found a huge hoard of pre-Christian coins in a field in Jersey have been recognised as record-setters.

The Celtic coins were discovered by metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles in 2012.

The number of coins has been verified as 69,347 - breaking the record for the largest collection of Iron Age coins.

Mr Miles said he and Mr Mead had been "involved the whole way through" and it was "lovely" receiving the official Guinness World Records certificates.

When the hoard was first discovered, its value was estimated at about £10m.

Some of the coins, which were found in the east of the island, are on display at La Hougue Bie Museum in Jersey.

Olga Finch, curator of archaeology for Jersey Heritage, said: "We are not surprised at this achievement and are delighted that such an impressive archaeological item was discovered, excavated, examined and displayed in Jersey.

"Once again, it puts our island in the spotlight of international research of Iron Age coinage and demonstrates the world-class heritage that Jersey has to offer."

The hoard, thought to date from about 50BC, was discovered at a depth of just over 3ft (1m).

Mr Miles said it had taken 30 years to locate the coins, after receiving a tip-off in the 1980s from a woman who said she had spotted something that looked like silver buttons in a field.

The hoard is officially owned by the Crown, he added.

Prior to the discovery, the largest hoard found in the British Isles was the Cunetio hoard, which was unearthed in Wiltshire in 1978. It contained 54.951 low-value copper coins manufactured in the 3rd Century BC.