Crosby Garrett Helmet

Will it or won't it be saved for the nation? The Crosby Garrett Helmet - named after the hamlet in Cumbria where it was found by a metal detecting enthusiast this spring - comes up for sale at Christie's auction house on 7 October, estimated value £300,000 ($463,800). The face of this helmet is virtually intact. It would have been worn in Roman cavalry displays known as hippika gymnasia. The Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle, Cumbria, has launched a public appeal to raise funds to buy it. I was surprised to discover that this extremely rare object wasn't designated as treasure trove under The Treasure Act 1996. As far as the law is concerned, it is merely an unimportant piece of base metal: bronze! So the finder can sell it. Click the title link for a BBC video.