Hoard valued at £3.285 million

The Treasure Valuation Committee (TVC) met at the British Museum on 25th November 2009 to discuss the valuation for the Staffordshire Anglo-Saxon Hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found. The committee of independent advisors have deemed the Treasure to be worth £3.285million. This figure will be split equally between the finder (Terry Herbert) and the landowner (Fred Johnson). The landowner, the finder and the two museums which hope to acquire the hoard, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, have all approved the valuation.

Chairman of the TVC, Professor Norman Palmer CBE said “The task of valuing this hoard required the Treasure Valuation Committee to analyse a very large amount of information in order to arrive at a fair market price, and I am personally indebted to my fellow members whose energy and expertise made this result possible in so short a time. I would also like to pay tribute to the immense amount of hard work put in by our four outside expert valuers and the secretariat. All finders of Treasure can take encouragement that the most valuable Treasure find ever made was dealt with so speedily and yet so scrupulously by all parties concerned, given that the hoard was discovered only in July. It is of course immensely important that this extraordinary hoard is acquired for public benefit and I know that the two museums are anxious to raise the funding to keep the hoard in the West Midlands as soon as they can.”

The fundraising campaign will now begin for the joint acquisition of the hoard by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent. All relevant parties are fully in support of this joint acquisition and for the hoard to be displayed in the West Midlands.

Highlights of the hoard are currently on display in Room 37 at the British Museum. A book ‘The Staffordshire Hoard’ has been recently published by the British Museum Press, priced £4.99 with £1 going to the appeal fund for acquisition. A selection of objects from the hoard will go on display at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent from 13 February to 7 March 2010.

The Treasure Valuation Committee is a committee of independent experts appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to advise the Minister on the valuations of finds of Treasure which museums wish to acquire. There are eight members chosen for their expertise in the objects that come before the Committee and they represent the different groups that have an interest in Treasure - finders, museums, archaeologists and the trade.

For further information or to speak to members of the Treasure Valuation Committee or the Treasure Department please call the British Museum on 020 7323 8394 / 8522

Notes to editors

On 5 July 2009, Terry Herbert was using a metal detector in a Staffordshire field when he began to unearth gold objects. It was a stupendous discovery, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, glittering in the sun-light for the first time in 1400 years. Highlights of the hoard are currently on display at the British Museum in Room 37.

Made up of over 1500 objects, the hoard contains some of the finest Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship and artistry ever seen. This, the first book on the hoard, tells the remarkable story of the discovery, describes the fascinating collection of objects it contains, and offers an initial interpretation of the treasure and its significance. Close-up photographs show the intricate details of these amazing objects, which include fittings from the hilts of swords, fragments from helmets, Christian crosses and magnificent pieces of garnet work. Details of all these objects can be found at www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk

The members of the Committee are: Professor Norman Palmer, CBE (Chairman), Mr Trevor Austin, Professor Ian Carradice, Mr John Cherry, Mr Peter Clayton, Dr Jack Ogden, Dr Tim Pestell and Mrs May Sinclair.