By 2002 Christie's had valued them and an overseas sale had been negotiated. However, at the same time the Nicopolis examples were found and came to the attention of the same BM keeper. This discovery, giving it a date and context for the first time, allowed the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to stop export of the Guilford Puteal while the British Museum raised the necessary funds to acquire it. It was eventually bought for £294,009 (including an £108,000 Art Fund grant and other money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the British Museum Friends and the Caryatids of the Greek and Roman Department) - this would have been higher had it gone onto the open market and through the usual sales processes, or if the Museum had not been able to respond as rapidly as it could due to the Nicopolis discovery.