A HOARD of 800-year-old silver coins discovered on a Barnoldswick farm has been ruled as treasure by an inquest.

The haul of 21 medieval pennies and half-pennies was made on land owned by James Pilkington off Brogden Lane in April by an amateur treasure hunter.

The coins, thought to date from around 1208 in the reign of King John, will now be valued by experts and by the British Museum in London.

They will decide how much money, if any, Mr Pilkington and the finder should be given.

However, London coin expert Michael Sharp, who works as an independent valuer in case of treasure finds, said the coins were unlikely to be worth a huge amount.

He said: "It depends on various things such as where the coins were minted and their condition, but a find like this is likely to be valued at hundreds of pounds rather than anything more."

The special hearing to decide the fate of the coins was conducted by East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor, whose duties include ruling on whether finds qualify as treasure.

To pass the test a find must be of two or more in quantity, more than 300 years old, have been hidden and be of good quality gold or silver.

The Barnoldswick find passed all of the criteria and was therefore ruled as treasure trove.

The coins, already in the possession of the British Museum, will now be valued by independent experts and by the Treasure Valuation Committee.