The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered has been officially declared treasure at a coroner's inquest. The find, comprising more than 1,500 pieces of gold and silver, was unearthed in a Staffordshire field by amateur metal detectorist Terry Herbert in July. The hoard weighs 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, three times the amount found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
Experts describe the collection as breathtaking, with gem-studded sword fittings, Christian crosses, and a gold strip bearing a biblical inscription. The items date from around AD700 and may be the spoils of a Mercian raiding party. Leslie Webster, former keeper of prehistory at the British Museum, said the find will alter perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England as radically as Sutton Hoo.
Herbert, who lives on disability benefit, discovered the first scraps while metal detecting. He reported the find to the portable antiquities scheme, leading to a full archaeological excavation. The landowner and Herbert are likely to share a reward of at least £1 million, as local museums campaign to keep the treasure in Staffordshire.
Kevin Leahy, an Anglo-Saxon metal expert, noted the hoard is unusual for containing only martial items, with no feminine objects such as brooches or pendants. The pieces are now being studied at Birmingham City Museum, with the exact location kept secret to prevent further disturbance.
