Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Medieval ring found in field may fetch £40,000
The crowds were out in force for Countryside Day – the opening day of the November Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse, which features countryside activities alongside the big race action. For all the racing, see pages 47-52
AMEDIEVAL ring and secret seal found by metal detectorists is expected to sell for tens of thousands of pounds at auction.
The gold and diamond ring, valued at £30,000 to £40,000, is thought to have been a gift from 14th century aristocrat Sir Thomas Brook to his wife Lady Joan.
Inside is an inscription in medieval French which, when translated, reads: “As I hold your faith, hold mine.”
It was found on land in Dorset that he used to own and which now belongs to a dairy farmer who allowed one of his old milk drivers to search the field with his metal detector.
The secret silver seal, found by a detectorist in Hertfordshire and valued at £3,000 to £4,000, is thought to have belonged to Alice de Turbeville, whose family came to England with William the Conqueror.
Both items are to go under the hammer at the Mayfair auctioneers Noonans later this month.
David Board, 69, had only been detecting for three months when he came across the golden ring near Thorncombe, Dorset, in February
I dug the hole, saw a bit of gold and I thought ‘Oh, not another bit of wrapping paper’ DAVID BOARD
2020. He said he was disappointed when he caught his first glimpse because he thought it was a sweet wrapper.
He added: “I was detecting on a field. It was called Bowling Green. I thought it was quite odd because it was flat; there must have been quite a lot of activity there.
“I was searching there and found a few old coins, a lot of silver paper, the kind from sweet wrappers.
“And I was walking back to the car when I got a signal, dug the hole, saw a bit of gold and I thought ‘Oh, not another bit of wrapping paper’, and then found the ring.
“It was a really wet day so I washed the mud off and put it in my pocket. I had only been detecting for three months.”
Asked if he had ever found anything like it since, he said: “No, it’s a once in a lifetime find. You won’t find anything like that again.”
Patrick Tolley, 64, the dairy farmer who owns the land where David found the ring, said: “He came over all excited. I couldn’t believe how shiny it was.
“The fields have been ploughed and cultivated dozens of times over the years. It’s a surprise it has not been damaged at all.”
David said he had not thought about what he would do with his share of the money after the ring was sold, and was waiting to see how much it went for.
Noonans consultant, Nigel Mills, said: “This ring is in almost perfect condition and has an inverted diamond set into the raised bezel so that it comes to a point.
“The hoop is composed of two neatly entwined bands symbolising the union of the couple.”
Andrew Phillips, 70, found his treasure 22 years ago while searching along the Icknield Way, near Offley, in Hertfordshire.
Asked why the seal was secret, he said: “I would guess she was doing things off her own back that she didn’t want her family to know about. Someone receiving something from her would know it’s from her.
“When it was originally found it was worth £2,100. Letchworth Museum wanted to buy it, but did not have enough money, so I held on to it and thought ‘I will find out what it’s worth again’. I got it revalued with Nigel and it was £3,000.”
When asked why he had decided to sell it now, he said: “I’m 70 now and my children wouldn’t have a clue with what to do with that, so I thought it was a good idea to move it on.”
He also said he would split his share of the proceeds with a selection of local charities for which a detectorist group that he founded raises money for.
The gold and diamond ring will go under the hammer on November 29 while the secret silver seal will be offered on November 16.