Yahoo News Amateur metal detector celebrating after 'find of a lifetime' sells for £10,000
An ancient gold ring dug up by an amateur metal detector enthusiast in a “find of a lifetime” has sold at auction for £10,000.
Paul Wood, 64, was searching a field being developed for new houses when he found the pristine 500-year-old treasure buried under several feet of mud.
The seal ring, which dates back to between the late 1500s and early 1700s, was later named “artefact of the year” by the Metal Detectives Group.
It was found on land in Bampton, just six miles from former Prime Minister David Cameron’s constituency of Witney, Oxon.
The ring is engraved with an elaborate coat of arms and crest which is believed to represent the Skynner family.
According to research carried out by driving instructor Mr Wood, the Skynners were important in the Bampton region from the 13th century onwards.
Mr Wood, from Upton, near Poole in Dorset, stumbled across the ring in August 2016.
Today (Mon) it went under the hammer at Hanson’s Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbys., where it was sold to an overseas telephone bidder for £10,000.
Mr Wood said: “I’m really pleased the ring did so well at auction. It sold for well above its reserve price and it’s nice to have a windfall just before Christmas.
“I’ve been metal detecting since the mid-1970s and this was the find of a lifetime for me. It could be 500 years old.
“I’ve found broken bits of ring before but never anything like this. It’s in beautiful condition. There isn’t a blemish on it.
“I found variations of the Skynner crest and traced the Le Skiniers who came over to England during the Norman conquest in the 11th century.
“There was a Henry Le Skynner in 1287 in Brampton. The evidence is compelling.”
Mark Becher, who runs the Metal Detectives Group from Aylesbury, Bucks., who organised the search, said: “It took place on land sold off for housing development.
“I asked if we could explore the land before the houses went up.
“The homes have been built now. But for Paul, that ring, which is steeped in history and worth thousands of pounds, could have been lost forever.
“When Paul found it, he was so excited – we all were. We knew it was special. It’s a high-end object that would have belonged to a person of wealth and importance.
“It demonstrates craftsmanship, skill, detail and definition. It’s just amazing. Gold comes out of the ground exactly as it goes in.”
James Brenchley, Hansons’ head of Antiquities, Ancient Art and Classical Coins, said: “The ring was a wonderful find and I’d delighted it’s made a substantial amount.
“A similar example can be found at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.”
