Businessman in ‘pound for pound’ pledge to save Roman helmet

A businessman has pledged £50,000 to save a rare Roman helmet for the nation – on condition the public match it pound for pound.

The bronze helmet complete with face-mask is thought to be one of only three of its kind to be found in Britain.

Almost 2,000 years old, it has been named The Crosby Garrett Helmet after the hamlet in Cumbria where it was found in a field by a treasure hunter using a metal detector.

Described as a “hugely important discovery”, it is now expected to fetch £300,000 at Christie’s Antiquities auction in London on October 7.

But council-owned Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery in Carlisle, Cumbria, has been running a fund-raising appeal to buy the artefact.

It has launched “Give a Quid for The Bid” to save the helmet from going abroad or into a private collection.

Tullie House has to raise at least £80,000 in donations from the public, which would help “unlock” funding from other organisations.

The new offer by the businessman, who wants to remain anonymous, would give the museum a greater chance of competing at the auction.

Hilary Wade, of Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the message is simple – we need people to come forward to help us raise £50,000 and if we do, it creates £100,000 for the appeal fund.”