
Support Collections Care at Colchester Museums
Adopt an object or gift an object adoption to the history enthusiast in your life!
Colchester Museums houses a significant collection of objects, artefacts, and specimens, ranging from Roman jewellery and weaponry to Natural Science collections spanning millions of years. We have put together an eclectic mix of twenty of our most fascinating and well-loved objects, which you can adopt to help provide the essential support we need to help us preserve, explore and share the 200,000+ objects in our care.
Your donation will help us to protect millions of years of local and global history through care of our collections. Visit the museums or check out Collections Online to see what you have helped support.
How It Works
Step one – Choose a Donation Tier
All adoptions are for one year and our objects can be adopted by multiple people, except for our Gold object, which is for five adopters only.



Step Two – Choose your object + make a donation
Simply click on Adopt Me under your chosen object to complete your donation. If you are adopting your object as a gift, you can leave a message to be included in the dedication. Please don’t forget to opt in to Gift Aid, which will increase any donations you make to CMDF by 25% for no extra cost.




Gosbeck’s Mercury
Adopt by donating: Gold £500
Find me at: Colchester Castle
This bronze statue of the Roman god Mercury is one of the finest metal sculptures from Roman Britain. It was discovered at Gosbecks, south of Colchester, which had become an important religious centre in the Roman period. Mercury may have been worshipped at the Romano-Celtic temple discovered here. He is identified by the wings on his head, which are symbolic of his role as messenger of the gods. He may originally have held his staff, known as a caduceus, in his left hand, and a purse in his right. These attributes symbolise some of Mercury’s trades such as patron of travellers, merchants and commerce. The statue is of a high technical quality and design, and it was most probably imported from Gaul, modern day France, dating to c. AD 250.
Where Does Your Money Go?

Colchester Museums Development Foundation
Colchester Museums look after some of the most important historic buildings and museum collections in the country!
Colchester Museums Development Foundation support us to inspire and enrich our local community, through the preservation, exploration, and sharing of the town’s heritage in its widest sense. Discover how you can get involved…