THE Frome Hoard, the second largest collection of Roman coins ever discovered in Britain, will go on display on Thursday 29th September as the new Museum of Somerset opens in Taunton.
The hoard of 52,500 coins was found in April 2010 near Frome by local man, Dave Crisp, using a metal detector, and this will be the first time the collection has been on display after a national fundraising appeal saved the hoard for the nation. The coins date between 253 and 293 AD, and they cover the issues of 26 different Roman emperors.
The new Museum of Somerset will also include exhibits ranging from a shrunken head from South America and Judge Jeffreys’ medical bill. For the first time in three years, the Museum of Somerset will be throwing open its doors in spectacular fashion to welcome the public from midday onwards on the 29th September after a £6.93m redevelopment.
The museum now has 50 per cent more exhibition space in which to tell the story of Somerset from pre-historic times to the present day. Exhibits never seen before will be on display.
The museum will showcase some of Somerset’s extraordinary heritage collections, and sets a new standard in the county for a modern visitor attraction, with new state-of-the-art galleries and interactive features. There is also a fully-equipped learning centre, a large multi-purpose gallery for staging major touring exhibitions, and a new café offering the best of Somerset produce.
Bookings are now being taken for group tours once the museum has opened. For more information about this, and for details of volunteering opportunities at the museum, telephone Susie Simmons on (01823) 255088 or email museumofsomerset@somerset.gov.uk.
