Quo vadit?

So where should the Staffordshire Saxon treasure end up? At present it is on temporary view at Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery - simply because they have the facilities. But the treasure dates back to the time of Mercia, well before Birmingham even existed. The administrative capital of Mercia was Tamworth, and the spiritual capital Lichfield, so these two places have a good claim. Of course, at the end of the day, money is going to play a great part in any decision. The finder and landowner are going to have to be paid their rewards - which will almost certainly run into 7 figures - and then it's likely that a purpose-built building will be needed to house the collection and there will be the ongoing question of security. So to be landed with it may prove as much of a curse as a blessing!