Hundreds of rare coins from the Iron Age have been uncovered by archaeologists working on the HS2 route. One excavator described the hoard of small coins, which were found in Hillingdon, west London, and date back to the first century BC, as a “once-in-a-lifetime find”. Under British law, the find could be recognised as “treasure” and acquired by a museum. Bearing the side profile of Greek god Apollo on one side and a charging bull on the other, their design is based on coins struck in the French city of Marseille more than 2,000 years ago. Excavation teams made the discovery after a storm disturbed the ground where they were buried.