First crates of Phil Collins’ Alamo collection arrive in San Antonio

British rock star Phil Collins on Tuesday officially handed over to the state of Texas his collection of artifacts related to the battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution.

Collins’ collection, considered to be the world’s largest private collection of Alamo artifacts, includes a fringed leather pouch and a gun used by Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie’s legendary knife and letters from garrison commander William B. Travis.

“There’s things in there that will make your [jaw] drop,” Collins said.

Collins has joked that he spent all the money he made from his music on artifacts related to the 1836 battle in which 1,500 Mexican troops overran 200 Texicans holed up in the Alamo.

The collection was given to Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, the state steward of the Alamo.

“Texans are deeply indebted to Phil Collins,” Patterson said. “He is giving us back our heritage. Now these Texas treasures need a home where all can see them and study from them and learn about how Texans won our liberty.”

Patterson said it will likely take at least five years to raise the millions of dollars needed to design and build a center to house and display the collection.

The location of the center will be decided in about two weeks, Patterson said.

Five crates full of artifacts were unloaded from a cargo truck Tuesday.

“This completes the journey for me. I’m 64. When I was 5 or 6 years old, this thing began,” Collins said of his fascination with the Alamo.

“My 9-year-old son was saying, ‘Why are you going to give it all away, Dad? I thought I was going to have it,’ ” he said with a laugh.

“This collection is coming home and it’s going to be very interesting for people to come and see and learn. And this is what it’s all about.”