Gold treasure find rewrites history

The largest-ever hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold has been unearthed in a farmer's field in Staffordshire.

The staggering discovery of more than 1,500 items was made by jobless treasure hunter Terry Herbert, using a battered 14-year-old metal detector.

Now he and the unidentified land owner are set to earn themselves a massive reward for the priceless trove which experts today said would rewrite centuries of British history.

The find, dubbed the Staffordshire Hoard, was being declared treasure trove at a coroner's court hearing in Cannock today.

Click here to see amazing pictures of the Anglo-Saxon treasures.

Experts predict the discovery, found at un undisclosed site near Burntwood, will redefine perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England.

The find is said to be bigger than that at Sutton Hoo and as important as finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels, say experts.

Today 55-year-old Mr Herbert, of Scott Way, Burntwood said: "I never expected to find something like this and I couldn't sleep after finding the treasure.

"Imagine you're at home and somebody keeps putting money through your letterbox – that is what it was like.

"I was going to bed and in my sleep I was seeing gold items. As soon as I closed my eyes I saw gold patterns. I didn't think it was ever going to end."

Mr Herbert, a member of Bloxwich Research and Metal Detecting Club, came across the hoard in July.

The collection is unparalleled in size and may have belonged to Saxon royalty, containing around 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver. It may take more than a year to value the collection and, given its scale, the financial worth of the hoard cannot be estimated but its unique nature will probably render it priceless.

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

Mr Herbert added today: "My mates at the metal detecting club always say if there is a gold coin in a field I will be the one to find it. I dread to think what they'll say when they hear about this.

"This is what metal detectorists dream of, finding stuff like this. But the vast amount there is is just unbelievable."

Mr Herbert and the farmer plan to split their reward. The treasure hunter says he will spend his money on a bungalow.

He added: "It's been more fun than winning the lottery. People laugh at metal detectorists. I've had people go past and go 'beep beep, he's after pennies.'

"Well, no, we are out there to find this kind of stuff and it is out there."

The Coroner for South Staffordshire, Andrew Haigh, was holding the inquest on the find to decide whether it is treasure under the Treasure Act 1996.

If it is declared treasure, the find becomes the property of the Crown, and museums will have the opportunity to acquire it after it has been valued by the Treasure Valuation Committee. The committee's remit is to value all treasure finds at their full market value and the finder and landowner will divide the reward between them.

Dr Roger Bland, head of the Department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, described it as the greatest ever find of Anglo-Saxon gold.

He said: "The protection of the site is of paramount importance and Terry has behaved wonderfully in helping us to keep that so.

"The police are monitoring the site regularly but we are convinced we have uncovered every single item."