Jersey Heritage hopes for extra help with coin hoard

Mr Mahrer said no two coins they had uncovered so far were the same

Jersey Heritage has said it is hoping to secure more help to examine a Bronze Age coin hoard found in the island.

Neil Mahrer, from Jersey Heritage, is separating the hoard of about 70,000 coins, which have fused together after hundreds of years in the ground.

Jersey Heritage hopes to recruit more experts to help.

Mr Mahrer said if additional help could not be found it would limit how much could be achieved by one person.

There are thought to be about 70,000 coins contained within the hoard

He said: "We are hoping that we'll be allowed to get two new members of staff specifically to work with me on this and then we can do it as a three-year project.

"We want to put some of the material on show in an exhibition here [in Jersey] in 2014 so we have really got to make a start to try and free up some of this jewellery so we can see what we've got."

He also wants to examine a pottery vessel full of axe heads and other items found in Jersey earlier this year.

The two hoards of historic treasure are on display at the Jersey Museum this weekend, one for the first time and one for the last time.

The group of axe heads found in a pottery vessel has never been seen by the public before, and the hoard of Celtic coins will be seen for the last time before conservation experts take it apart.

While the hoard of coins has been on public display before, a Jersey Heritage spokesman said some islanders had still not seen it.

The coin hoard, discovered in a field, is thought to be worth about £10m.

Mr Mahrer said he would start separating the coins in the new year so this would be the last time anyone could see them as they were discovered.