The Staffordshire Hoard: In 2009, a collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver artifacts was discovered in Staffordshire, England, with an estimated value of over £3.2 million.

In July 2009, Terry Herbert, an amateur metal detectorist, discovered a hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold, silver, and jeweled objects in a field belonging to farmer Fred Johnson in Staffordshire, England. After a day-long session at the British Museum, the treasure valuation committee valued the hoard at £3.3m, making it the largest and most beautiful hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold found in Britain.

The hoard includes over 1,800 items, such as a gold processional cross, pommel and hilt decorations from swords, and a cryptic inscription from the Bible on a strip of gold. The discovery of the treasure was announced in September 2009 and generated widespread interest around the world. The Birmingham City Museum put some mud-caked pieces on display for a fortnight, and people queued for up to four hours to see them, with the museum having to double its opening hours.

Museums in Staffordshire are now scrambling to raise the £3.285m needed to pay compensation to Terry Herbert and Fred Johnson. Johnson was magnificently underwhelmed by his good fortune and said that money was the last thing on his mind. However, he bought a suit for his first visit to London to see the pieces installed in a temporary display at the British Museum.

Archaeologists believe that the Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon Treasure Hoard will rewrite the history of Anglo-Saxon England, and the pugnacious kingdom of Mercia where it was found. The British Museum has launched a rapid-response book on the hoard, written by Kevin Leahy, the archaeologist who spent weeks cataloging all 1,800 pieces as they came into the Birmingham museum, and Roger Bland, head of the portable antiquities scheme, which encourages metal detectorists such as Herbert to report all their archaeological finds. One pound from each copy sold will be donated to the appeal to acquire the treasure for local museums, to keep it in Staffordshire.

Professor Norman Palmer, chair of the treasure valuation committee, said that valuing the hoard was a unique experience in his 13 years as chair of the committee. The valuation committee solicited four independent expert valuations in advance, which is unprecedented in his experience. They were driven by two lodestars, scrupulous accuracy and a determination not to allow the process to drag on and on, but to arrive at a figure that would be acceptable to all parties. The committee is satisfied that it has arrived at a value that is both fair and reflects the extraordinary interest and importance of this hoard.

Source: archeologynews.com