Spectacular buried treasure found in Cheshire dating back to 300BC

Details of the amazing finds were given at Warrington Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.

As per the Treasure Act 1996, a person who finds an object believed to be treasure must notify the coroner.

An inquest is then held into the circumstances of the discovery, including if it is actually treasure as defined in law, where, how and when it was found, by whom and what to do with it.

Some treasure finds can be claimed by museums to be displayed as part of an exhibit.

In each case, a coroner officer said: “An inquest is required as the object contains more than 10 per cent precious metal content and is more than 300 years old.

“It therefore can be attributed to treasure as per the Treasure Act 1996.”

One such find was a post-Medieval silver button, discovered in Guilden Sutton, near Chester.

Left and middle: Post-Medieval silver button. Top right: William III coins. Bottom right: Iron Age gold finger ring (Image: Cheshire Coroner's Court)

A stunning complete gold finger ring was also found in Goostrey, dating back to between 1300 and 1500 and featuring intricate engravings.

The court also heard of a silver earring, estimated to be from a period between AD43 and 410, which was found in Byley, between Northwich and Middlewich.

A scattered hoard of three silver coins depicting William III, widely known as William of Orange, was discovered in Barrow, near Chester, with the find dating back to between 1694 and 1702.

The oldest find by some distance however was an Iron Age gold finger ring, estimated to have been created between 300BC and 200BC, located in Arclid, near Sandbach.

The finds kept coming, with a silver annular brooch dating back to between 1200 and 1350 discovered in Acton, on the outskirts of Nantwich.

A silver annular brooch from between 1200 and 1400 was also found in Willington, near Chester.

And a post-Medieval gold finger ring estimated to have been formed between 1550 and 1650 was discovered in Puddington, on the English-Welsh border near Wirral and Chester.

In each case, Jaqueline Devonish, senior coroner for Cheshire said: “I am satisfied, on the evidence I have heard, that the object is likely to be treasure, and an inquest is requested.

“I therefore open an inquest and adjourn to be heard on November 19.”