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The discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard, the only hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, became public knowledge around the time I was planning the assembly of my new sword, Notu
ng.Containing hundreds of items including sword pommel-caps, seax fittings, and decorative components of sword-sheaths, most of gold and garnet, the Hoard was unearthed between Cannock and Lichfield, not far from my place of work. The beautiful items of the hoard must surely have adorned some magnificent weapons in their day, and I was sure that Paul's splendid blade deserved nothing less.
Now to produce replicas of the golden treasures of the Hoard was beyond my skill but help was at hand. Paul recommended George Easton who runs ‘Danegeld’, a specialist historic jeweller.
I looked at some of his work via the Internet and was impressed, so I sent him working drawings and in a very short time he had produced a cloisonné-work pommel-cap, hilt rings and sword-sheath pyramids. We had decided against authentic garnet-work on the grounds of cost and durability on George’s advice. The red enamel resin used gives, I think, a most satisfactory result.
He was even able to incorporate the name of the sword, noTuN in runes onto the reverse of the pommel cap.
Then began the challenge of putting the whole thing together.