Prospector with metal detector finds 700-year-old gold New Year's ring

Amateur researcher and experienced detectorist John Adamson discovered a medieval gold ring and silver fittings while searching a field in Cheshire last year 14. December 14, while exploring an unspecified area in Whitegate and Marton with the permission of the landowner. Cheshire's chief coroner, Alan Moore, declared the ring a treasure at Warrington on September 29.

The ring dates from between 1350 and 1500. It is decorated with sprigs of leaves with four petals and beads. Its face is 5.35 millimetres wide and 0.7 millimetres thick, weighing two grammes. Inside, it bears an engraved inscription with black Gothic-style filling: 'En bon an', which in French at the time meant 'good year'. Previous findings suggest that rings of this type were once used as gifts, often expressions of love, given to family and friends on New Year's Day.
"The find has been defined as a treasure as it contains more than 10 per cent precious metals and is over 300 years old, " said Cheshire County Coroner Alan Moore, investigating. The silver fittings were also declared treasure for the same reasons. According to the PAS statement, the 12.62 mm long and 1.14 grams heavy silver fitting apparently belonged to a small knife or stick. It was found complete but damaged.

Both items were found by John in the same place. Soon after the dig, he contacted PAS liaison officers and they contacted other experts at the British Museum. The investigation continued until last week. The exact location of the find has not yet been made public: "If we did that, anyone with a metal detector could decide to go to the site and start searching there illegally," said Heather Beeton, PAS liaison officer for the Cheshire area, adding that any further exploration could be disrupted by such activity.

The Ashmolean Museum of Ancient Art and Archaeology already has similar examples in its collection. New Year's wish rings have been found in Yorkshire, Hampshire and the Midlands, but these are still relatively rare finds and the first of their kind in Cheshire.
Note: Unfortunately I have not tracked down any photographs of the ring found as of the date of submission of this article. However, John Adamson is a well-known and experienced prospector - he has, for example, made million-dollar gold ring finds in the past. I believe that such photographs will also be pleasing.

Roman Nemec

Mr. Adamson's earlier find

Mr. Adamson's older find - gold rings

Sources: knutsfordguardian.co.uk, dailypost.co.uk, chesterstandard.co.uk