Projects given Royal funding to learn more about world's largest Celtic coin hoard in Jersey

More than £90,000 of Royal funding has been granted to five projects to study the world's largest Celtic coin hoard which was found in Jersey.

The Le Câtillon II haul was discovered by two detectorists in a Grouville field in 2012 and made national headlines.

The two-thousand-year-old treasure trove contains almost 70,000 coins from the Coriosolitae, Osismii, Redones and Baiocasses tribes plus extra coins minted in southern Britain from around 40 BC.

Europe's largest-ever collection of torque neck rings, a fabric bag filled with ingots and gold and silver jewellery, and flora and fauna including millipedes from the time were also uncovered.

Under Jersey law, the entire haul became the property of the Crown before it was bought by the island's government in 2021 for £4.25 million.

As part of the sale, Government House agreed to set aside £250,000 for education and research to advance the public's understanding with some of that money now being allocated to initiatives through the Highlands College Foundation.

They include analysing the hoard's composition and developing learning materials.

Chair David Lord says: "We anticipate that these projects will yield valuable insights and foster a greater connection between the public and the islands' Iron Age heritage.

"The diversity and scope of the research reflects the multifaceted significance of the Le Câtillon II Hoard."

Applications for the rest of the ringfenced money are still being accepted on the Highlands College Foundation website with the next round of funding to be assessed in September.

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