The detective found a gold Anglo-Saxon sword plate. He donated it to the museum

Littlehampton Museum has unveiled a 1300 year old early medieval gold plate; originally apparently decorating the hilt of a sword. It was discovered using a metal detector near Climping in West Sussex. The finders, by agreement with the landowner, donated the object to the museum without payment.

The triangular plate, measuring 21.39mm long, 22.56mm wide, 0.66mm thick and weighing 1.9 grams, forms a smooth backing with applied filigree decoration. The top is almost entirely covered with slightly flattened filigree decoration with a wide outer edge. Three parallel strands of twisted wire run inwards, alternating direction and forming a woven pattern. The joined wires wind around each corner. In the centre is a triangular field with a 'T' shaped motif. Within it are four flattened circles. The corner is pierced, it could also have been used secondarily as a pendant.

The object best matches a group of small gold elements found in the Staffordshire Hoard. These were probably attached to horn hilts on swords of the late sixth and early seventh centuries. However, it is possible that they had a wider application. Decoration of this type is referred to as the 'Cumberland hilt' - after an artefact in the British Museum collection. The find has been dated to between 570 and 630 AD.

As the object contains more than 10% precious metal and was over 300 years old at the time of discovery, it qualified as a treasure. Nevertheless, the finder and the landowner waived their claim to the reward and handed the find over to the museum.

"As stewards of our local heritage, we are delighted to welcome this extraordinary artefact into the museum's collection. The Anglo-Saxon gold plate is a striking reminder of the ingenuity and artistry that flourished in early medieval England," said Councillor Freddie Tandy, Chair of Littlehampton Borough Council's Community Resources Committee.

"The generosity of both the finder and the landowner in sharing this work through the Portable Antiquities Scheme(PAS) has given us allus all to celebrate and learn from our shared past," he added, urging everyone to visit the museum, which is free to enter.

Roman Nemec

Sources: bbc.com, finds.org.uk, v2radio.co.uk

• Early medieval finds detector on LP
• Metal detector finds from the Avar-Slavic period at LP