Two medieval silver coins found in rural County Durham were folded and may have been left as a ritual pilgrimage, an inquest heard.

A silver penny dates from the time of King Stephen of England, who reigned from 1135 to 1154 while the halfpenny it was found with shows King Alexander III of Scotland who ruled from 1249 to 1286.

They were found by metal detectorist David Smith on land owned by Alan Coatsworth in the Hamsterley area, near Bishop Auckland.

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A treasure trove inquest was held at Crook Coroners’ Court on Thursday by Senior Assistant Coroner Crispin Oliver.

He read evidence from the British Museum which said: “The practice of folding and bending medieval coins is well recognised phenomenon related to medieval pilgrimage.

“These are two very distinctive coins, northern and Scottish, separated entirely by over 100 years.

“It may also be significant and suggests that the coins were potentially selected and indeed positioned as an offering at the find spot.

“It may also add credence to their positioning as being part of a ritual pilgrimage offering in the village of Hamsterley which has medieval origins.”

The find was made on December 22, 2021, and has been officially classed as treasure by the coroner.

Durham University’s Museum of Archaeology has expressed an interest is acquiring them for its collection.