Rare Roman helmet found in Cumbria auction of 2 million pounds
Baku, October 8 (AZERTAC). A bid for a Cumbria museum to buy a rare Roman town and keep the county has failed after an anonymous telephone bidder bought it for 2 million pounds. A bid for a Cumbria museum to buy a rare Roman town and keep the county has failed after an anonymous telephone bidder bought it for 2 million pounds.
The hull was unearthed by metal detector enthusiast in Crosby Garrett, near Kirkby Stephen, in May.
The piece, believed to have been used by soldiers in sporting events, is expected to fetch £ 300,000 when it was auctioned at Christie`s in London.
The appeal of the museum attracted public donations of over £ 100,000.
It included a £ 50,000 anonymous businessman pledged that amount if the public were right.
The National Heritage Memorial Fund awarded the museum £ 1m grant for its bid.
Hilary Wade, director of Tullie House Museum and Richard Speirs, of the Friends of Tullie House Hilary Wade Tullie House Museum and Richard Speirs Friends of Tullie House to listen to the auction
However, the museum said it had not given up hope of being able to keep the hat in Cumbria.
However, leaders said the museum might consider negotiating with the buyer to try to bring the hull to the museum, at least in the short term.
If the buyer intends to take the helmet abroad, they would have to apply for an export license.
Applications can be submitted to an expert consultant, and if they believe the issue is of national importance can be passed to a review committee.
If the agency finds that it meets the criteria may be recommended to the Secretary of State that an export license be deferred to allow gambling offer was made to keep the object in the United Kingdom.
The auction at Christie`s The hull is expected to reach £ 300,000
Tourism chiefs said they believed that keeping the town in Cumbria would result in a £ 3m boost to the local economy.
They said they thought that the helmet has a "Mona Lisa" effect on the development of the visitors to the region.
It is believed that one of three of its kind found in Britain.
It would have been taken, possibly with colored streamers attached, as a mark of excellence by the Roman soldiers in parades sport.
Christie`s, described the finding as a "remarkable example of Roman gold at its zenith" and "the discovery of a lifetime" for a metal detectorist
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