Check out our interactive treasure map where X marks the spot
The Peover Hoard, found in Cheshire in 2015 Photo credit: National Museums Liverpool
The number of pieces of treasure found in Cheshire and Merseyside fell last year. There were a total of 1,540 pieces of treasure discovered across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2024, according to new provisional figures from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.
The majority were uncovered by metal detecting – some 95% of all finds – though some were picked up by archaeology (4%) chance finds (1%) and mud larking (
There were 19 treasure finds in Cheshire and Merseyside in 2024. That’s down from 21 in 2023, but level with 2022 and up from 2012 in 2021 and nine in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
Cheshire and Merseyside is a long way from being the country’s treasure hotspot.
A total of 26 counties had more finds than our area last year.
Norfolk is the country’s treasure capital, with more finds than anywhere else.
There were a total of 138 treasure finds in the country in 2024. That’s up from 108 a year earlier and is the fifth year in a row that it’s topped the treasure charts.
Medieval Gold Brooch AD1200- 1300. On loan to National Museums Liverpool from Nantwich Museum Photo credit: National Museums Liverpool
Norfolk’s neighbouring counties are also treasure-finding hotspots, with the East of England producing more finds than any other region, a total of 388 last year.
Essex had the fourth highest total of any county with 107 finds, while Suffolk was fifth with 85.
Elsewhere in the country, Hampshire had the second highest number of finds last year with 110, followed by North Yorkshire with 109. Wiltshire and Swindon had 79, Lincolnshire had 76, and Somerset 51.
You can see how many treasure discoveries were made in your local area by using our interactive map.
A new exhibition filled with treasures from Liverpool and beyond that were “found by chance” is coming to the city centre. This September, visitors will be able to see “Treasure: History Unearthed” – an exhibition showcasing a range of historic artefacts, including Bronze Age gold, Viking Silver and hoards of coins which were uncovered as part of historic treasure hauls.
The exhibition, at the Museum of Liverpool on the city’s waterfront, features the “most extensive collection of archaeological treasures ever displayed in the north west of England and Wales” and will run until March 29 2026.
Blending history, science, and storytelling, the exhibition offers visitors a “rare opportunity” to explore some of the most remarkable finds in local history, while uncovering the people, places and moments that shaped our shared past.