January 7, 2003
Mildenhall Treasure: how many pieces missing?
So far this story has not been widely reported:
Experts have revealed a second piece of the world-famous Mildenhall Treasure could be missing – just days after discovering one part was already unaccounted for.The new revelation has come from the British Museum, which houses the impressive 34-piece collection of Roman silver, found in a field in West Row, Suffolk, in 1943.
Specialists at the museum have been studying an old photograph of the treasure and are now concerned that a second mystery piece disappeared before the find was ever made public and has never been seen since.
The 1,500-year-old silver was found by ploughman Gordon Butcher in January 1943. He told his boss Sydney Ford, an agricultural engineer who collected antiquities, and they took it back to Ford's workshop.
The photograph is of Sydney Ford's son Jack, taken in Sydney's house in the 1940s with the treasure visible on display on a sideboard in the background.
Experts have now started examining the picture more closely as it seems there is an object, which could be a million pound piece of Roman silver, on show which is not part of the British Museum's collection and is not the missing goblet described by 94-year-old Jack Thompson – who recently broke his 60-year silence in the EADT (East Anglian Daily Times).
Posted by David on January 7, 2003 10:13 AM
Hi-any news about this Mildenhall piece?Can we see the photograph? Of course these things happen-it's hard to determine anyhow what is 'complete' in these matters-the group of objects certainly is a treasure,not a complete tableware or kitchen inventory-regards-WBK
Posted by: wb katt on January 18, 2004 8:25 PM
Hello I have just read this article and from living in mildenhall and west row for all my life I like many other locals hold to the fact the sydney ford kept many pieces of the treasure due to the constant wealth of the family and expansion of his lands over the years, and the fact that many pieces that where found previously to the main discovery where never included in the treasure for instance what happened to the silver spoons that where found before this and sparked the actual hunt for the treasure which was not an accidental find as it would be proclaimed in the rhoal dhal version but that ford was looking for the treasure, I know this because one of my relatives uncle found the first silver spoon in the same field previously, and west row is an extremely small place! please email me back iwould like to hear your thoughts on the subject.
James
Posted by: james on November 28, 2005 2:19 AM
Hello I am a christie's graduate student working in London and am working on an update to the Mildenhall treasure story. Having relayed the info of these two "missing" pieces and the recent archeological dig in Beck row at RAF Mildenhall I am curious as whether there have been any updates with this. If anyone who has information could write me back that would be great. thanks
Posted by: cher on November 26, 2008 5:29 AM
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