Gold Ring

[Nick martin]

Found this little beauty in a field in North Yorkshire last Sunday.

It's a medieval 22ct gold puzzle ring ( found in context with other medieval material ) and would have been for a female or a child as it's quite small.

Have resisted the urge to clean it or straighten it, but it made me smile given my new found love of jewellery making!

Nick

[Dennis]

What a marvellous find, Nick. Do you go out with a metal detector?
I think it would be interesting to all of us to describe the various proceedures needed when you find something like this.
You'll probably start a gold rush. Dennis

[Nick martin]

Yes Dennis, I'm a bit of a history fanatic and I thought this quite apt really.

It's been declared as treasure, or at least submitted to what's called a Finds Liason Officer ( every area has one ) so they can send it to the BM for examination and valuation. If they choose to keep it then they get three separate valuations and arrive at an average value. The reward is then split between myself and the landowner.

My friend found another one three weeks ago in the same area, but it was larger and had an inscription in Old English reading 'Feare God, drede shame'. Lovely item.

Nick

[LydiaNiz]

fantastic! Love the inscription from the other one too

[ps_bond]

There's a lot of that around York; the Escrick ring was found quite close to where I used to live.
http://www.yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/pa...x?ArticleId=52

Every time there's any building work in York, archaeologists swarm the place (and usually get into disagreements with the developers over the relative merits of careful, measured archaeology vs. building a new centre for an insurance company...).

[Nick martin]

I have seen some stunning finds being made in and around the York area Peter, and personally I love that place and the surrounding villages. Ive found some great stuff around Easingwold, Tollerton, and Crayke in the past.

Nick

[Nick martin]

Lydia - I thought you'd like this after reading your write up in the Cookson magazine the other day, and given your archaeological twist on things.

Nick

[SteveLAO]

Are there any circumstances with finds like this where you can get to keep the item legally?

[Nick martin]

Yes.. You declare the item and if the British Museum 'undeclares' the item ie they don't want it for their collections, or it's technically not classed as treasure, then the item gets returned to the finder.

Nick

[LydiaNiz]

Nick, just came across this thread - what happened with this in the end?