After a saga that has lasted a quarter of a century, the Sevso Treasure has been returned to Hungary. This hoard of silver objects from the late Roman Empire, said to have originated in the area around Lake Balaton in Hungary, had been in England since appearing on the London art market in 1980.

The treasure had then been acquired by a consortium headed by the Marquess of Northampton, who had attempted to sell the pieces in New York in 1990, a move that was stymied by judicial actions undertaken by the governments of Hungary, (what was then) Yugoslavia and Lebanon, each claiming ownership. The items were withdrawn from sale, but the consortium continued to hold onto them.

Today Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary had acquired 7 of the pieces for a reported €15 million. They will be put on public display in the parliament building in Budapest as of Saturday 29 March 2014.