Staffordshire Hoard: Bid to keep Anglo-Saxon treasure

Only 81 of the 91 objects found in the ploughed field in November were declared treasure

A campaign is under way to keep pieces of Anglo-Saxon treasure found in the same field as the Staffordshire Hoard alongside the original collection.

Eighty-one of the 91 objects found in November - including a helmet piece, a cross-shaped mount and an eagle-shaped mount - were declared treasure.

They have been linked to the 3,500 pieces found in Hammerwich in 2009.

Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham city councils want to raise £57,395 to keep the artefacts in the West Midlands.

The original hoard, dated to the 7th and 8th Centuries, was found by metal detectorist Terry Herbert on the land owned by farmer Fred Johnson. It was subsequently valued at about £3.3m.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Birmingham City Council jointly own the 3,500 artefacts and have permanent displays at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

The smaller and most recent haul was discovered by a team from Archaeology Warwickshire but Mr Herbert and Mr Johnson will benefit because they were were behind the original discovery.

'Imagination captured'

Deputy leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Paul Shotton, said: "It took a huge and very public fundraising effort to raise the money to save the initial Staffordshire Hoard finds.

"But the treasure captured the imagination of thousands of people and incredibly the money was raised in just a matter of months.

"Now we are asking people to dig deep again and support us in saving these wonderful new finds that are a vital addition to the original collection."

Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "Both authorities are now determined that the new pieces will also find a home in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent so we look forward to renewing our efforts to raise the sum of £57,395 to save the 'new' hoard for the nation."