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Anglo-Saxon gold is worth £3.285m | Anglo-Saxon gold is worth £3.285m |
(40 minutes later) | |
A haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure recently unearthed in Staffordshire has been valued at £3.285m. | A haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure recently unearthed in Staffordshire has been valued at £3.285m. |
The money will be split between metal detector enthusiast Terry Herbert, who found the hoard, and Fred Johnson, who owns the farm where it was discovered. | The money will be split between metal detector enthusiast Terry Herbert, who found the hoard, and Fred Johnson, who owns the farm where it was discovered. |
The hoard, which is thought to date back to the 7th Century, comprises 1,600 items including sword pommels, helmet parts and processional crosses. | The hoard, which is thought to date back to the 7th Century, comprises 1,600 items including sword pommels, helmet parts and processional crosses. |
The value was set by a committee of experts which met on Wednesday. | |
The hoard was discovered by 55-year-old metal detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert, of Burntwood, in Staffordshire, in July. | The hoard was discovered by 55-year-old metal detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert, of Burntwood, in Staffordshire, in July. |
It is of course immensely important that this extraordinary hoard is acquired for public benefit Professor Norman Palmer | |
He found it on land owned by farmer Fred Johnson, who said had not decided how to spend the money yet. | |
"I'm not coming to any quick decisions," he said. | |
"It's been in the ground for thousands of years, [the decision making] can wait a bit longer." | |
He said he had not been told when he will be paid the money. | He said he had not been told when he will be paid the money. |
Members of the Bloxwich Research and Metal Detecting Club, of which Terry Herbert is a member, had estimated in advance the gold would be worth around £3m. | |
Secretary Jim Wall described the final figure of £3.8m as "very nice". | |
He added: "The boy has done very well, it's a once in a million lifetime chance isn't it? | |
"The right time, the right place." | |
The price was set by eight members of the treasure valuation committee, who are all dealers and experts in their fields. | |
This gold strip with a Biblical inscription is one of 1,500 items in the hoard. | |
Chairman Professor Norman Palmer CBE said the committee had to analyse a very large amount of information in order to arrive at the price, which he described as "a fair market price". | |
He said: "It is of course immensely important that this extraordinary hoard is acquired for public benefit." | |
Now a fundraising campaign to bring the hoard back to the West Midlands has been launched. | |
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent are both hoping to buy the treasure from the Crown. | |
Part of the hoard is currently on display at the British Museum in London. | |
It is due to move to the Potteries Museum for a temporary exhibition in the New Year. |