Rare coins believed to have been made in West Norfolk in the 8th Century are to go on display in King's Lynn.

The Anglo-Saxon silver coins were created at the time England was converting to Christianity.

They are on view in the Lynn Museum until September as part of a reciprocal arrangement with the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

The Sedgeford Iceni gold coin hoard is on loan to the Fitzwilliam for the same period of time.

Many of the Anglo-Saxon coins, known as Series Q sceatttas, have pictures of Christian symbolism.

One shows a lion, representing Christ, which would have been drawn from imagination as the artist would never have seen the animal.

Other coins depict Christ, the holy dove, a snake representing evil, a stag and a mythical beast. The coin with the stag depiction is the only one of its kind believed to be in existence.

Museum curator Tim Thorpe said the coins were orignally discovered in West Norfolk in the 1880s or 1890s.

He said as they were found in this area and none like them had been discovered elsewhere, it was almost certain they had been minted in the area.

They belong to the De Wit collection which was bought in 2007 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund,

Mr Thorpe said it was the first time in recent years a reciprocal arangement had been made with the Fitzwilliam.

The Lynn Museum offers a free identification service for anyone who may find old coins in their garden.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and the collection is here until September.