The British Museum showed the most valuable treasure in the history of England. Photo

The British Museum has revealed an incredible treasure. The 2584 silver coins, dating back to the Norman Conquest, had been in the ground for almost 1000 years and were bought by a UK trust for $5.6 million, making them the most expensive treasure ever found in the United Kingdom.

Seven metal detectors found the cache of coins in early 2019. The treasure was hidden in the Chu Valley in the south of England, ArkeoNews reports.

Lisa Grace and Adam Staples, who along with five friends found most of the coins during a weekend trip to the Chu Valley, described how it was a "dream" to discover such a significant hoard.

"The discovery is fantastic, incredible. It has changed my life. I feel like I held history in my hands. And obviously, the financial side is great as well," Staples said.

According to the Treasure Act 1996 in the UK, those who find valuable items are required to report them. If a find is declared a treasure, the discoverer cannot simply sell it to the highest bidder or keep it as a unique piece of home decor. He or she must offer it for sale to the museum at a price determined by the British Museum's Treasure Valuation Committee, EuroNews noted.

According to the museum, the treasure hunters who unearthed the silver coins reported their discovery to officials using the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme program.

The British treasure was named after the countryside in which it was discovered – Chew Valley. The coins were purchased for the country by the charity division of the British National Lottery.

Scientists have found that the found coins are a mixture of Saxon and Norman currency, which demonstrates a turning point in the history of England. Experts believe that the silver was buried for preservation during the conquest.

Michael Lewis, chairman of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said the treasure would help deepen understanding of the most famous date in English history: 1066, the year that William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, replacing England's Saxon monarchs with Norman rulers.

The smaller half of the coins features an image of Harold II in 1066, the last crowned Saxon king of England. The larger half shows William I (also known as William the Conqueror), the first Norman king.

With the exception of the ruler who is carved on them, the two types of coins are quite similar, experts say. The scientists note that both types have an emblem on one side and an image of the king's head in profile on the other.

Scientists report that the coins from the hoard will be exhibited at the British Museum from November 26, and then travel to many other museums in the UK, and will find a permanent home in the Somerset Museum.

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