A ROMAN brooch found on land in Wem has been declared to officially be treasure by Shropshire coroner John Ellery.

In an inquest held at Shrewsbury’s Shirehall, Mr Ellery, on Tuesday, it was announced the recently discovered silver brooch was reported through the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme having been found while searching with a metal-detector on cultivated land near Wem.

The brooch is dated to the late first and early second centuries (AD 80-140) being T shaped with semi circular wings that hold a recessed spring. The pin would have been held by a clasp at the foot and worked in many ways like a simple safety pin. They were used to hold layers of garments / cloth together and are often found on the shoulders or chest – sometimes in pairs.

The head of the brooch rises up from the wings and tapers downwards forming the bow which is broken just below the mid-point.

The bow is decorated with a moulded band comprising three raised parallel lines, the central one of which has wavy edges, running the full surviving length of the bow. On either side of this central band are moulded ovals arranged in a zig-zag pattern.

The coroner declared the find treasure under the 1996 Treasure Act as it was more than 300 years old when found and its alloy was more than 10 per cent precious metal.

Shropshire Museums have expressed an interest in acquiring the find for the people of the county with the hope that it will be displayed in the Roman gallery at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery at the Music Hall.

The finder was paid monies for their discovery.