The Art Fund has contributed £300,000 towards the £5m needed to secure and conserve the Staffordshire Hoard.
The charity is leading the campaign to acquire the treasure for Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, which will share it. The two city councils have each donated £100,000.
Five local authorities, the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and Staffordshire University are involved in the appeal, which aims to raise the £3.3m purchase price by the 17 April deadline – the statutory four months after the Treasure Valuation Committee put a price on the artefacts.
An Art Fund spokeswoman said it was “very confident” the money would be found in time. Once secured, another £1.7m needs to be spent on conservation and display.
“There will be fundraising events and a public appeal, and we will talk to trusts and foundations,” said the spokeswoman.
Birmingham is anxious to include the acquisition as part of its bid to be the UK’s first City of Culture, in 2013.
Donations will be invited from the public when more than 80 items go on display at the Potteries Museum on 13 February. Birmingham will then have additional pieces on show from 7 March.
