Thu Nov 26, 1:58 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters Life!) The largest haul of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered,
unearthed by a metal-detector enthusiast in a farmer's field, has been valued
at 3.28 million pounds ($5.5 million) by a committee of experts.
The Staffordshire Hoard, found by Terry Herbert in central England in July,
comprises over 1,500 mainly gold and silver items thought to date back to the
7th century.
Under Treasure Trove laws, the money will be split between the finder, Herbert,
and the landowner, Fred Johnson.
The find has been compared in importance to the spectacular Sutton Hoo burial
site, a huge ship grave in eastern England excavated in 1939.
The cache comprises sword-hilts, fragments of gold helmets, some elaborately
decorated, and other pieces of weaponry inlaid with precious stones.
The two museums which hope to acquire the hoard, Birmingham Museum & Art
Gallery and the Potteries Museum, along with the finder and the landowner, have
all approved the valuation.
A dozen or so items from the hoard have gone on show at the British Museum in
London. Hundreds of people queued for hours when a small selection of items
were displayed in Birmingham earlier this year.
(Reporting by Stefano Ambrogi; Editing by Steve Addison)