The ring on the right was found on one of the Clubs sites by John Hinchcliffe, one of the clubs newer members. The find was made on farmland whilst metal detecting. It was declared Treasure at an inquest held in Dorchester on 19th May 2004.
John immediately reported the important find to the landowner and the Authorities. The ring was subsequently identified by the British Museum as dating to the 15th or early 16th centuries. The BM said:
The Medieval finger ring measures 25mm in diameter. The hoop is decorated with deeply groove, twisted bands, within which are engraved the stems of flowers at each shoulder. The bezel is a flamboyant octagonal shape, which is engraved with a merchants mark (seal)
John said "I got a very strong signal from my detector and dug out the ring from a depth of only 3 inches. I picked up a clod of earth and could see the ring poking out. I broke the soil away and a beautiful clean silver ring appeared. I knew instantly it was of great age and was flabberghasted at its pristine condition"
The ring would have been owned by a prosperous merchant type person, and worn over a glove. Besides being a fine status symbol, it would have been used as a personal seal on documents or letters. Although obviously a valuable find, John said " Its real archaeological value and excitement will come if the name of its owner is traced from old documents by the personal seal mark. It will be very exciting if it can be traced to a local family. The mark must have been well known locally when it was being used."
Under the rules of the Treasure Act, the ring will be valued and then offered to interested museums. The finder and landowner will share the reward.