Detectorist finds bishop’s medieval gold ring in field

AN AMATEUR treasure hunter was left shaking with excitement after unearthing a 15th-century bishop’s ring in a farmer’s field.

Adam Day, a metal detectorist, said he knew immediately that his discovery was something special.

The 20-carat gold ring, engraved with a likeness of St George, was found in a field near Beverley Minster in East Yorkshire and is thought to have once belonged to a bishop or nobleman.

Mr Day, 30, a lorry driver from nearby Hull, only took up the hobby three years ago. He said: “I was shaking when I found it. It was quite close to the surface, not buried deep in the ground. It is engraved with St George and St Catherine and features floral emblems. Beverley Minster is nearby and it’s likely the ring belonged to a priest from there. It dates back to between 1450-1550.”

The medieval treasure is expected to sell for around £10,000 at Hansons Auctioneers’ Historica sale in Derbyshire on Jan 24. Half of the proceeds will go to the farmer who owns the land on which it was discovered.