Badger Bart
Sr. Member
- Mar 24, 2005
- 301
- 18
Metal detector finds 3,000-year-old ring
AN IRON Age artefact dating back more than 3,000 years has been unearthed by a metaldetecting enthusiast.
Gerald Freeman-Smith, of Windmill Close, Ely, made the discovery on his friend's farm in Little Thetford.
The find, a gold money ring, was nestled just a couple of inches beneath the surface of a recently-harvested wheat field.
The treasure hunter said: "This would have to be my best find to date. It is so rare and to think I'm the first person to handle it in 3,000 years is staggering."
The money ring, also known as a pennanula ring, has been authenticated by a curator at the British Museum.
It measures 17.5-19.5mm in diameter, weighs in at 11.86 grams and could date to 1150BC. The core of the ring consists of base metal. It has been coated in yellow and pale gold.
Gerald, 52, said: "It is a job to know if it was used as currency or as jewellery. Or, it could have served both purposes."
An inquest at Ely Magistrates' Court has officially declared the money ring treasure.
Gerald will now take his find to be valued by a panel consisting of staff at the British Museum, coin collectors, and antique dealers. He believes the ring will be worth about ?1,200. The proceeds will be equally split between himself and the owner of the land, John Parish, of Bedwell Hay Farm, Little Thetford.
Ely Museum has expressed an interest in purchasing the artefact.
Gerald, who was recently made redundant from his job as a mobile telecoms engineer and currently works in a scrap metal yard, first dabbled with metal detecting back in the 1970s but he did not take it up as a serious hobby until 1998.
Since then, he has made many finds, including Roman artefacts and medieval coinage.
AN IRON Age artefact dating back more than 3,000 years has been unearthed by a metaldetecting enthusiast.
Gerald Freeman-Smith, of Windmill Close, Ely, made the discovery on his friend's farm in Little Thetford.
The find, a gold money ring, was nestled just a couple of inches beneath the surface of a recently-harvested wheat field.
The treasure hunter said: "This would have to be my best find to date. It is so rare and to think I'm the first person to handle it in 3,000 years is staggering."
The money ring, also known as a pennanula ring, has been authenticated by a curator at the British Museum.
It measures 17.5-19.5mm in diameter, weighs in at 11.86 grams and could date to 1150BC. The core of the ring consists of base metal. It has been coated in yellow and pale gold.
Gerald, 52, said: "It is a job to know if it was used as currency or as jewellery. Or, it could have served both purposes."
An inquest at Ely Magistrates' Court has officially declared the money ring treasure.
Gerald will now take his find to be valued by a panel consisting of staff at the British Museum, coin collectors, and antique dealers. He believes the ring will be worth about ?1,200. The proceeds will be equally split between himself and the owner of the land, John Parish, of Bedwell Hay Farm, Little Thetford.
Ely Museum has expressed an interest in purchasing the artefact.
Gerald, who was recently made redundant from his job as a mobile telecoms engineer and currently works in a scrap metal yard, first dabbled with metal detecting back in the 1970s but he did not take it up as a serious hobby until 1998.
Since then, he has made many finds, including Roman artefacts and medieval coinage.
