To Warwickshire Art Fund committee and Kineton & District Local History
Group members
—– Original Message —–
From: “Katy Richards” <KRichards@artfund.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 2:46 PM
Subject: Staffordshire Hoard
Since you may already be aware of this, I thought you would like this latest message from Stephen regarding the Staffordshire Hoard which is being sent to some of the supporters of the previous campaign:
I wanted to update you on the latest developments around the Staffordshire Hoard, which you may read about shortly in the press.
As you know the Hoard – over 1,500 items of Anglo Saxon gold and silver, believed to be the spoils of war – was unearthed in a field in 2009. Valued at £3.3 million, the Art Fund launched a public appeal to buy the Hoard for museums in the Midlands. In just 10 weeks the full sum was raised, including almost £1 million from members of the public. The campaign’s success was due in no small part to the incredibly generous contribution you so kindly made.
While experts believed they had gathered every piece of the Hoard still remaining in the field during extensive searches in 2009, we have just learned that during a recent re-churning of the same field, 90 new pieces
have been uncovered – evidently having been previously at a deeper level. While many are tiny fragments, they include pieces of a helmet, a cross and an intriguing eagle shaped mount. They are not nearly on the scale of the
original find, of course, but this is obviously still very exciting and will no doubt in time add to our understanding of the Hoard and more widely of our Anglo Saxon heritage.
The latest finds are being examined as I write and will be valued in the New Year, and we are in close touch with Birmingham, the Potteries and the British Museum. I thought you’d be interested to know of these latest
developments and will of course let you know when we hear more.
With best wishes for Christmas and Happy New Year
Katy
Katharine Richards
Regional Fundraising Manager (maternity cover)
Art Fund
Millais House
7 Cromwell Place
London SW7 2JN
020 7225 4800
020 7225 4863 (direct)
www.artfund.org