In 1942, while ploughing a field near Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England, Gordon Butcher stumbled upon a hoard of 34 silver objects that he turned over to his boss and owner of the land, Sydney Ford. Dating back to Roman Britain, fourth century AD, and of outstanding artistic and technical quality, the hoard was declared a Treasure Trove in 1946.

Richard Hobbs is curator of the Romano-British collection at the British Museum. His research interests include the deposition of precious metals and food and banqueting, particularly in the Late Roman empire. Previous publications include (with Ralph Jackson), Roman Britain: Life at the Edge of the Empire and The Mildenhall Treasure (British Museum Objects in Focus).