When the work was completed the true splendour of the helmet was revealed. The decorated brass strips, which run across from nape to nose and from ear to ear, bore an inscription which can be translated from the Latin as:
In the name of our Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit God the Father and with all we pray. Amen. OSHERE XPI.
Oshere is an Anglo-Saxon personal name and XPI are the first three letters of Christ in Greek. The nasal and the edge of the eyebrows are elaborately decorated with interlaced animal motifs of a very high-quality craftsmanship.

Click here for a drawing of the inscription

The helmet attracted world-wide interest. There are only two other examples for comparison, one of which is the Sutton Hoo helmet from a royal grave in Suffolk, deposited c. AD 625. These share a common ancestry with late Roman parade helmets. The form of the inscriptions and the style of the animal interlace on the Coppergate helmet help to fix its date to around 750–775.

We do not know who Oshere was. He might have been the maker or the giver of the helmet but perhaps most likely he was the owner. Whoever the owner was, he must have been of royal or noble family to have possessed such a remarkable object.

How did the helmet end up buried in a simple pit? It was already quite old when it was buried: the brass decoration was worn from polishing and there were marks suggesting it had been worn in battle. Nevertheless such a fine possession would remain a treasured heirloom. It had not been thrown casually in the pit, the mail and one cheek piece had been carefully placed inside. It seems it might have been hidden to be retrieved later or perhaps it had been stolen and hidden by the thief. We can only imagine the circumstances in these turbulent times in York over a thousand years ago which led to the loss of this wonderful and once-prized symbol of the valour, prowess and power of an Anglo-Saxon warrior.

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