ART FUND SAVES TWO COLLECTIONS FOR THE NATION

THE ART FUND ANNOUNCED THAT BOTH THE FROME HOARD OF ROMAN COINS AND THE IRON AGE HOARD OF GOLD TORQUES, OR NECK ORNAMENTS, UNCOVERED NEAR STIRLING IN SCOTLAND HAVE BEEN SECURED FOR THE UK PUBLIC WITH SIGNIFICANT ASSISTANCE FROM THE ART FUND AND THE NATIONAL HERITAGE MEMORIAL FUND. THE MUSEUM OF SOMERSET TAKES POSSESSION OF THE £320,250 FROME HOARD AND FURTHER FUNDS OF OVER £100,000 TOWARDS ITS CONSERVATION FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE £294,026 GRANT FROM THE NHMF. THE GOOD NEWS FOLLOWS AN INTENSIVE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN WHICH THE ART FUND KICK-STARTED WITH A GRANT OF £40,250 TO HELP RAISE THE FUNDS NEEDED FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY FIND OF OVER 52,000 SILVER AND BRONZE COINS. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC GENEROUSLY DONATED £13,657 TOWARDS THE APPEAL THAT WERE MATCH-FUNDED WITH A FURTHER £10,000. AT THE SAME TIME THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND ADDS FOUR STUNNING IRON AGE GOLD TORQUES, DATED BETWEEN THE 1st AND 3rd CENTURY BC, TO ITS COLLECTION. THE ART FUND GAVE A GRANT OF £10,000 TOWARDS THE £462,000 NEEDED FOR THE TORQUES. OTHER FUNDS DONATED INCLUDED £154,000 FROM THE NATIONAL HERITAGE MEMORIAL FUND, £123,000 FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND AND £85,000 FROM THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT. ART FUND DIRECTOR, STEPHEN DEUCHAR SAID: 'WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED THAT NOT ONE BUT TWO WONDERFUL HOARDS OF TREASURE HAVE BEEN ADDED TO COLLECTIONS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE UK. BOTH THE ROMAN COINS IN SOMERSET AND TORQUES IN SCOTLAND ARE GOING TO ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT PLACES WHERE GENERATIONS CAN LEARN, ENJOY AND BE INSPIRED BY THEM, AND EXPERTS CAN CARRY OUT VITAL RESEARCH. IN THE CASE OF THE FROME COINS IT IS VERY MUCH THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DOUBLE DONATIONS THROUGH OUR MATCH-FUNDING APPEAL. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE NATIONAL HERITAGE MEMORIAL FUND FOR HELPING TO MAKE THESE ACQUISITIONS POSSIBLE. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FUNDS COME TOGETHER TO SAVE IMPORTANT HERITAGE ITEMS.'