Great Baddow Hoard exhibition showcases treasures from the Iron Age to the present day

Britain’s largest Iron Age gold coin hoard has gone on public display for the first time in a new exhibition that explores stories of treasure over millennia.

The Great Baddow Coin Hoard. Image by Claire Naylor.

Timeless Treasures: Unlocking the Great Baddow Coin Hoard opens at the Museum of Chelmsford on Saturday 18 July 2026, running until Sunday 11 April 2027. From spectacular ancient finds to modern-day cherished objects, the exhibition explores the mystery of the Great Baddow Coin Hoard and asks: ‘what are our treasures of today?’

Major archaeological finds unearthed in Chelmsford on display

The Great Baddow Coin Hoard is the largest collection of Iron Age gold coins ever recorded in Britain. It was acquired by the Museum of Chelmsford in 2025 thanks to funding from National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other supporters.

Now, all 935 coins – plus the remnants of a possible vessel – have gone on show for the first time in the new exhibition, which looks at why so much wealth was hidden in a field on the edge of Chelmsford more than 2,000 years ago.

The Great Baddow Coin Hoard is now on display at the Museum of Chelmsford. Images by Claire Naylor.

Dated to 60-20BC, the coins come from a time of great upheaval during the Late Iron Age – when the threat of Julius Caesar’s second invasion loomed over Britain. As Timeless Treasures shares the theories behind the burial of the hoard, it considers the context of Chelmsford’s Iron Age history and showcases further recent archaeological discoveries.

Other significant objects on display include previously unseen ornate glassware, amphorae, and other ceramic items, recently excavated by Archaeology South-East at a newly uncovered 2,000-year-old cemetery to the north of Chelmsford.

Other local archaeological finds are on display in the exhibition.

Smaller artefacts unearthed by local metal detectorists also feature in the exhibition, as they share their own stories of metal detecting and the thrill of unearthing extraordinary and everyday treasures from Essex soil.

Councillor Jennie Lardge, Deputy Leader of Chelmsford City Council and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said:

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“It is thrilling to think that recent archaeological discoveries right on our doorstep are helping to expand our knowledge of Late Iron Age communities. I’m delighted that the Museum of Chelmsford has been able to share these incredible finds with local people through this new exhibition, which will undoubtedly inspire a sense of pride in Chelmsford’s rich heritage as it becomes known as the home of Britain’s largest Iron Age gold coin hoard.

“Huge thanks are owed to many who’ve made this major exhibition possible – including The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Archaeology South-East and The Pilgrim Trust.”

Cllr Jennie Lardge, Deputy Leader of Chelmsford City Council and Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure

Exploring our treasures throughout history

The exhibition explores treasures across millennia, including recently loved objects. Images by Claire Naylor.

Inspired by the mystery of the hoard, Timeless Treasures further explores changing concepts of ‘treasure’ over time. Highlighting some of the unique and personal treasures hidden among the museum’s collection, it explores the individual stories behind each item to ask the question: ‘what makes an object precious?’

Visitors will see the Roman ‘hoodie’ figurine Birrus Britannicus, unearthed by a local metal detectorist in 2014; a Victorian christening gown, passed down through generations of the Cramphorn family; and a 1960s merry-go-round model, created by Marconi Company apprentices.

The exhibition features objects spanning two thousand years, including the Birrus Britannicus figurine and a christening gown owned by Chelmsford's Cramphorn family.

Claire Willetts, Curator and Exhibitions Officer at the Museum of Chelmsford, said:

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“I wanted to make the concept of treasure and what makes us value different things the main thread weaving through this exhibition. As we considered the mystery of the Great Baddow Coin Hoard – who buried this huge sum of wealth and why they never returned for it – we were presented with an opportunity to explore what our treasures of today might be and why we consider certain objects to be precious to us. Is it the inherent monetary value? Is it a family heirloom with years of memories attached? Or is the item one-of-a-kind? The idea of treasure is timeless: just as we find emotional value in our treasures of today, Iron Age communities coveted their own precious treasures over 2,000 years ago. Treasures that, as they are uncovered today, have their own hidden stories to tell.”

Claire Willetts, Curator and Exhibitions Officer at the Museum of Chelmsford

Exhibition runs until April 2027

Timeless Treasures is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Pilgrim Trust and Archaeology South-East. Entry is included in admission to the Museum of Chelmsford from Saturday 18 July 2026 until Sunday 11 April 2027.

The exhibition covers two spaces, including a community and children's space in the downstairs gallery. Images by Claire Naylor.

An accompanying programme of events includes a free Iron Age Day on Saturday 18 July featuring historical reenactors; a talk by Finds Liaison Officer for Essex, Lori Rogerson, on remarkable Essex discoveries; and a deeper look at elite Iron Age burials in Chelmsford with Angus Forshaw of Archaeology South-East. Launching on Saturday 18 July, episode two of the museum’s new podcast series ‘The Chelmsford Broadcast’ also explores the story of the hoard.

Upcoming events as part of the exhibition programme include talks and an Iron Age Day.

Following the exhibition, the hoard will go on permanent display in the museum’s Prehistory Gallery.