'Rare and important' ring found in a Fenland field is up for auction

A Wisbech land owner is desperately hoping someone local will step in and buy a rare gold and sapphire love ring found in one of his fields.

The man, who does not want to be named to avoid people trespassing on his land with metal detectors, explained the medieval ring listed as 'The Wisbech' in an upcoming auction, was found in the field on January 20 this year.

He said: "An Eastern European chap asked if he could go metal detecting on my land and I agreed. He was there over several months and found various bits and pieces, but I didn't really take much notice, until one day when he came up and showed me a ring.

"When it was cleaned up it was clear it was something special and we contacted the coroner and the British Museum. The museum experts looked at it and dated it as medieval and described it as a very rare find - they said they had never seen one like it before and said it was a devotional ring

"It has a blue sapphire in the centre and then two heart shaped garnets. It is a very lovely thing. The rules are that anything found on your land is split 50/50 with the finder and I tried to negotiate with the chap but in the end it was decided it had to go to auction, after it was returned to us as treasure trove.

"Now it is due to go on sale on November 24 with Timeline Auctions and bidding is already at £8,500 - which is higher than the original estimate of between £6,000 and £8,000 and it may well go higher before the day.

"What I would really like is for someone local to buy it and let Wisbech Museum have it on show. Before it goes to auction finds like this are offered to museums but unfortunately because of the pandemic they are on their knees and don't have any money to spend, so they simply can't afford it.

"If anyone local has the money to buy it and keep it in our town, then that would be fantastic otherwise it will be 'lost'.

The ring has been dated as mid 14th to mid 15th century and is described ont he auction website as: "Very find condition. Rare and important."

It adds the coroner's report offers "a date range of 1350-1550 AD, based on the overall format of the ring, the devotional significance of the Christogram (ihc) and the cut of the cabochon. A date in the later 16th century or beyond is regarded as improbable due to the prevailing religious climate of the Reformation".

Under the Treasure Act 1996, finders of potential treasure in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are legally obliged to notify their local coroner An inquest then determines whether the finds constitute treasure

The act contains a number of definitions of 'treasure', including prehistoric objects, coins that contain gold or silver and are at least 300 years old, or more recent valuable objects that have been deliberately hidden

If the find is declared treasure, the finder must offer it for sale to a museum at a price set by the British Museum's Treasure Valuation Committee.

A reward is then offered to the finders and other relevant parties.