A £70,000 appeal has been launched by Oxford's Ashmolean Museum’s to save a hoard of Saxon coins for the nation.

Former marketing executive James Mather discovered the coins in a farmer’s field in Watlington last October after first finding a couple of ring pulls from drinks cans.

Now the museum wants the public to raise the cash to keep the historic coins in Oxfordshire.

The hoard of about 200 silver coins, seven items of jewellery and 15 silver ingots date back to the ninth century, including many coins of Alfred the Great, who was born in Wantage and King of Wessex from 874 to 879.

Mr Mather, 61, said: “I am backing this appeal - King Alfred was born nearby and I think the Ashmolean is the natural home for a hoard of this kind.”

The treasure has been valued at £1.35m by the Treasure Valuation Committee and the Ashmolean wants to save it for the nation by raising £70,000.

It has already received some donations towards the cause and a £1,102,500 donation from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

If the Beaumont Street venue raises enough cash by January 31 the treasure will remain on display alongside the Alfred Jewel, the most famous surviving object associated with King Alfred.

Curators said £900,000 from the grant will support the acquisition and the remainder has been given for its conservation, display, touring and education programmes to engage as wide an audience as possible, including a visit to the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock.

Dr Xa Sturgis, Director of the Ashmolean, said: “We now have the chance to acquire the hoard - if we don’t succeed it is likely the hoard will be broken up and sold at auction.”

The hoard was declared Treasure by the coroner for Oxfordshire in February and Mr Mather and the landowner both stand to receive half the proceeds each if the treasure is acquired by the museum.

Mr Mather said he would invest some of the money on a book about the psychology of metal detecting.

It is believed the hoard was deposited in Watlington in the late 870s by Vikings but it is not known why the treasure was abandoned.