Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found

[muriel_volestrangler]

The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire.

Experts said the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date back to the 7th Century, was unparalleled in size.

It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown.
...
The collection contains about 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, making it far bigger than the Sutton Hoo discovery in 1939 when 1.5kg of Anglo-Saxon gold was found near Woodbridge in Suffolk.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8272058.stm

[Ken Burch]

1. Will the Anglo-Saxons try to take it back ?

[SpiralHawk]

3. Yup. And then the Vikings (Republicons of yesteryear) will take it from them,

[Ken Burch]

8. And don't forget the ancient Celts!

[SpiralHawk]

16. Whoa - watch out for Jungle Jim Luscutoff - Celtic Badass of Yesteryear

[Solly Mack]

2. Neat!

[DeSwiss]

4. "Meaning it belongs to the Crown...."

...which goes without saying. Really.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Finder gets rewarded anyway

even when declared as treasure trove to effectively give it to the nation. That lot will be in the British Museum once fully catalogued.

[Wednesdays]

9. Yeah, ya gotta figure the Crown is hurting for money

:eyes:

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. What it means is that part of the state gets to own it, after paying for it

The finder (or the landowner) can't sell it to someone outside Britain, unless British musuems have turned it down :

The South Staffordshire coroner held an inquest in Cannock today at which he officially classified the find as treasure. Now a Treasure Valuation Committee made up of independent experts will put a market value on the hoard, a process expected to take more than a year, and local museums will be given the option to buy it.

The hoard is being held in secure storage at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, but some of items are to be displayed at the museum from tomorrow until October 13.

Staffordshire County Council, Birmingham Museum and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery have already discussed buying the treasure jointly. The money is paid to the finder, who usually gives half to the landowner — suggesting that both Mr Herbert and the farmer stand to receive a substantial sum.

At today's bullion prices, 5kg of gold is worth more than £100,000, according to gold merchants Baird & Co, but experts in historic artefacts said the hoard is liable to fetch more than ten times that. In 2007 the British Museum paid £125,000 for a single set of golden sword pommel and hilt ornaments inlaid with garnets, dating from the same period as the Staffordshire Hoard — around 650 AD, when Penda was king of Mercia.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6847081.ece

[dipsydoodle]

17. Mercia !

I wonder if he found any remains of coconuts which swallows had dropped. :rofl:

[subcomhd]

5. Someday I plan on finding something like that. nt

[malaise]

6. Wow!

Interesting

[dipsydoodle]

18. Off topic

Since you're about - seen this ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xUS30-RFf0

[malaise]

19. Yep

It's hilarious :D

[Czar One]

10. Avast, me maties!

ARRR! (Sorry: couldn't resist!)

[eShirl]

11. the inscription in the photo is Latin

not sure what it says, though

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. It says it's biblical, and a quick search suggests Vulgate Psalm 67:

"Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus;
et fugiant qui oderunt eum a facie ejus."
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/vul/psa067.htm

which, due to a numbering oddity, appears to be Psalm 68 in other bibles:

"Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered : let them also that hate him flee before him"
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Psalm_68

[KharmaTrain]

12. 7th Century? Probably Belonged To These Guys...

or buried to keep it from them...

Nasty Viking!!! How about some Spam...

[jberryhill]

14. I've been wondering where I left that....

Is there a Lost And Found office to which I should report having misplaced my stash of gold?