Lenborough Hoard appeal launched
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/lenborough-hoard
A huge hoard of over 5000 Anglo Saxon silver coins, buried almost 1000 years ago, and found at Lenborough near Buckingham in 2014 has now been declared Treasure. This is the largest hoard of Saxon coins found anywhere in Britain for over 150 years and the County Museum Trust wants to save it for the people of Bucks.
The provisional valuation has been announced as £1.35million. This reward will be split between the finder and landowner. The Trust hopes that much of the money can be raised from national grants, but it still needs to raise a substantial amount locally – the more the Trust can raise, the more chance it has of convincing the national funders that the people of Bucks care about their heritage, and so getting them to help.
Once the valuation is confirmed, the Trust has just 4 months to raise the money.
The Trust are trying a brand new way to raise the reward for this Treasure – an online crowdfunder campaign – even a small amount will help.
The Trust needs people to donate to the crowdfunder NOW. The more support the campaign gets early on, the better chance it has of succeeding, and the more the Trust can raise, the more of the hoard the Trust can save .
If the Trust cannot raise the money the coins will be returned to the finder & landowner, and will be sold on the open market. An international buyer from Norway has already made an approach to acquire them if the Trust is not successful, so the coins could be lost from Britain completely.
If the Trust can save the coins, they will be displayed jointly at the County Museum in Aylesbury, Milton Keynes Museum, and Buckingham Old Gaol museum.
Museum Trust Chairman, Dr. Bob Sutcliffe, said, “The Museum Trust is reaching out to the community to help us fund this important acquisition. The Trust can claim gift aid of 20% on donations made by UK tax payers making it a tax efficient way for local people to support Bucks heritage. With grants from national sources and fingers firmly crossed our local community can ensure the Trust keep this unique treasure for Buckinghamshire”
