One of the largest hauls of Roman coins ever discovered in Shropshire could go on display as a prime exhibit at Shrewsbury’s new £10 million heritage centre, it was revealed today.

The collection of more than 10,000 coins, most of which were found inside a pot, was uncovered by Nick Davies, 30, from Ford, during a search of land in the Shrewsbury area — just a month after he took up the hobby of metal detecting.

Peter Reavill, finds liaison officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said he was hopeful the important find, believed to date back about 1,700 years, would be kept at the new Music Hall, which is due to open next year.

He said: “The hoard of coins will be taken to the British Museum for detailed conservation and full identification, a report will be sent to the coroner and it is hoped that the Shropshire Museum Service will purchase them to be displayed in the new museum planned for the Music Hall in Shrewsbury.

“From a brief look at the hoard there seems to be a minimum of 10,000 coins, the majority of which are corroded together in the pot. The finder did not touch the coins from within the pot and this will mean that staff at the British Museum will be able to excavate the coins carefully.”

Emma-Kate Lanyon, curator for Shropshire Museum Service, said it was probably the largest Roman coin hoard in Shropshire in modern times.

Mr Reavill said that after the find was made archaeologists from Shropshire Council carried out a small excavation in the hope of understanding how the coins were placed in the ground.