50,000 people flock to Staffordshire Hoard tour in America

The Staffordshire Hoard was today hailed as a "global phenomenon" after more than 50,000 visitors flocked to a touring exhibition in America.

More than 100 items have been on display in Washington for the past four months, attracting the second largest audience of any exhibition to the city's National Geographic Museum.

Only the Chinese Terracotta Army generated more interest. Visitors paid $8 (£5) to view 117 prized pieces unearthed near Hammerwich, on the border of Burntwood and Brownhills in 2009.

And some of the funds will return to the Midlands after the exhibition closed at the weekend, being split between museums in Birmingham and the Potteries which own the treasures.

Culture boss, Birmingham City councillor Martin Mullaney, said: "From the very beginning the Hoard has captured the imagination of people across the world, so it's hardly surprising the Washington exhibition proved to be such a huge hit.

"As we saw when the Hoard went on display here in Birmingham and elsewhere in the Midlands, people are fascinated by this remarkable collection and we're thrilled so many people went along to see it in Washington.

"We've said all along that the Hoard is a global phenomenon and this proves that's the case."

National Geographic Museum director, Susan Norton, said: "The discovery, excavation, conservation and scholarship related to the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found is just the sort of story that we love to share with our visitors."

The Hoard hit the headlines again last week when it emerged travellers want to set up camp in a field bordering the site of the discovery of 1,300 mainly gold and silver items thought to date back to 700AD.

Councillors are due to decide the application in April.