The West Bagborough Treasure is a significant collection of historical artifacts discovered in October 2001 near West Bagborough in Somerset, England. This treasure includes 670 Roman coins and 72 pieces of hacksilver.
The find was made by a metal detector enthusiast named James Hawkesworth, who also happened to be a police officer from Bishops Lydard. Interestingly, no evidence of buildings or other structures was found in the vicinity.
Following an investigation into the treasure conducted in Taunton, it was officially designated as a treasure and appraised at a value of £40,650. Somerset County Museum Services acquired the treasure, with support from Somerset County Council, the Heritage Foundation Lottery, and a contribution of £16,400 from the Victoria and Albert Museum's Grant Purchase Resource Fund. These artifacts are now on public display at the Somerset Museum, situated within the grounds of Tonton Castle.
The hoard consists of a total of 681 coins, including two denarii that date back to the early 2nd century and eight miliarities, along with 671 pods, all originating from the period spanning 337 AD to 367 AD. Notably, a significant number of these coins were in the form of spears, some made of silver and others composed of copper alloy with plated silver leaf. Recent coin discoveries suggest that the hoard was buried around the year 365 AD. Most of these coins were minted during the reigns of emperors Constantius II and Julian and were produced at various mints, including those in Arles and Lyon in France, Trier in Germany, and Rome.
In addition to the coins, there were also 64 pieces of hacksilver, with a combined weight of 722 grams, found within the treasure.