A 17th century ring found in a field by a metal detectorists could sell for up to £16,000 at auction.
Alan Rumsby, 75, found the piece of jewellery while searching a stubble field in Roydon, Norfolk, with his metal detector.
The retired carpenter had searched the same fields several times before with no success. However, when he returned there in October 2020 the first signal from his XP Deus detector revealed a gold ring, hidden at a depth of nine inches.
The ring is believed to have been worn by Dorothy Ashfield, who was born in 1594, and experts say to find a seal ring from the period which was worn by a woman is extremely rare.
It will be offered for sale at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu on Tuesday, March 12 where it is expected to fetch between £14,000 and £16,000.
Alan Rumsby (pictured), 75, found the piece of jewellery while searching a stubble field in Roydon, Norfolk, with his metal detector. He says in 10 years of searching this is the first piece of gold he has ever found
The ring that Mr Rumsby found in a field in Norfolk. An expert says the ring, which is believed to date back to the 17th century, is believed to have been worn by Dorothy Ashfield, who was born in 1594
Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin Expert at Noonans,says the ring is ‘extremely rare’ because it is a seal ring that was worn by a woman. It will be offered for sale at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu on Tuesday, March 12 where it is expected to fetch between £14,000 and £16,000
Mr Rumsby said: ‘I have never found anything made of gold in over 10 years of detecting so I was really excited.
‘It was only after it was taken to the Museum that I realised how significant this discovery was.
‘The British Museum had originally declared an interest in acquiring the ring but now two years later the ring has been disclaimed, so I am able to sell it.
‘I intend to use the money, which will be shared with the landowner, on a holiday for my wife and myself.’
Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin Expert at Noonans, said: ‘The ring is historically important because it is extremely rare to find a seal ring of this period that was worn by a woman.
‘This is indicated using a lozenge-shaped coat of arms on the bezel of the ring.
‘The arms are divided into four, each representing her ancestral family heritage, namely Ashfield; Tendring; Botelier and finally Mapersall.
‘The five-pointed star in the centre of the arms represents a third son so we believe the ring was owned by Dorothy Ashfield who was born in 1594, the eldest daughter of the third son Thomas Ashfield of Hopton in Suffolk and his wife Ellen Holditch of Ranworth in Norfolk.’
He added: ‘The find spot is close to the old hall of Brockdish which was owned by John Tendring whose family arms appears on the second quadrant of the ring bezel as a fess (horizontal band) with a crescent between two chevrons.
‘The name Ashfield originates in Suffolk and Shropshire, meaning a field with ash trees.’
