A medieval ring discovered by a metal detecting dad could be worth thousands of pounds.
Shaun Terriss, 46, struck gold when he unearthed the ring inches below pasture land on a metal hunt with a friend.
A treasure inquest heard he regularly searched the grounds at Kenfield Hall in Petham with permission from the landowner and also belonged to a metal detecting club.
Experts from the British Museum estimate the ring is from the 17th century, but were unable to say who it belonged to.
The ring itself is made from gold but also includes a diamond with white enamel. It weighed in at three grams and had a Latin inscription ‘Et anulum et animan’, which translates as ‘I give you both this ring and my soul’.
Coroner Rebecca Cobb took just 30 minutes to declare it as a treasure at Canterbury Coroners’ Court on Thursday.
She said she was satisfied the ring contained more than 10% of precious metal to qualify as treasure under the Treasue Act 1966, congratulating Mr Terriss on his discovery. The ring was found in July.
Speaking after the inquest, Mr Terriss said he had been metal detecting for four years after it was recommended to him by a friend.
He said: “I was asked if I wanted to start metal detecting just as a bit of exercise, my kids thought it was hilarious.
“I’ve never found anything like this before. It is rare and it is special but it’s unfortunate we don’t know who it belongs to. We think it must be the nobility.
“I’m interested in history as well, as we think it may be 16th century but we will have to wait and see what the British Musuem says.
“Canterbury Museum has expressed an interest and we think it may be valued in the high thousands.”
Mr Terriss says any sale of the ring is likely to be divided 50/50 between himself and landowner Barnaby Swirecorr as part of a contractual agreement.
