Golden times ahead for Staffordshire Hoard millionaire

A year on from discovering the fabulous Staffordshire Hoard metal detectorist Terry Herbert says he is still exactly the same person.

Now a millionaire, Terry, aged 56, from Burntwood, found the first piece of gold from the hoard in farmer Fred Johnson's field at Hammerwich, near Brownhills, on July 5 last year.

Within days it became clear that through pursuing his much-loved hobby he had discovered the most important Anglo-Saxon treasure ever uncovered in England.

Terry has now been given his half share of the £3.3 million the hoard was valued at but says he has yet to spend a penny.

"I have banked the money, but not spent any of it yet," he revealed.

Terry said he has still not even replaced his battered old metal detector that led him to the treasure.

He is waiting for the autumn when he can once again go out detecting in the local area and still hopes to find more buried treasure.

"All the attention has not changed me. I'm still just the same person who looks forward to going out searching," he added.

He has been invited to the British Museum today for the British Archaeological Awards.

The hoard, believed to date from the Seventh Century, is on the shortlist for the best archaeological discovery.

Terry said that a year on he was still "a bit bewildered" by what had happened and was still looking forward to seeing everything that had been discovered at the hoard site.

"I have been told that there are 3,419 pieces altogether. I want to see it all," he added.

Terry is also in the running for an award from The Searcher magazine for best find of 2009 after being nominated by the National Council of Metal Detectors.

National Geographic is also planning a new documentary featuring Terry to update the story of the Staffordshire Hoard following an initial programme earlier this year.

* Although the hoard of gold and silver has been saved for the nation, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Stoke-on-Trent Museum and Art Gallery still need to raise £1.7m to enable it to be properly conserved, studied and displayed.