Two rings found by metal detectorists sell at auction for total of £30,000
Two medieval rings that were unearthed by a pair of metal detectorist friends in fields in Norfolk have sold at auction for a combined total of £30,000.
Retired fire service worker Mark Sell found a gold bishop's ring with jewels set in it on King Row in the village of Shipdham in 2019.
It was estimated to fetch £15,000 to £18,000, and sold at Noonans Mayfair in London for a hammer price of £19,000 on Wednesday.
Mr Sell, 63, of Swaffham, who is planning to use his share of the proceeds to go on a special holiday, said afterwards: 'It was a wonderful price, and I am delighted with the result.'
Tree surgeon Richard Girling, also 63, discovered a gold posy ring with a love message inscribed on it while searching a field in Merton, around 20 minutes from his home in Ickburgh, last year.
The message translates from Medieval French as 'I love you by faith' or 'I love you faithfully'.
The ring, estimated to fetch £6,000 to £8,000, sold for the hammer price of £11,000 at Noonans Mayfair.
Mr Girling, who has yet to decide what to spend his share of the money on, said afterwards: 'I was working in a tree at the time of the auction, so didn't know how much the ring had sold for until I saw Mark, and I was amazed that it had sold for almost double the pre-sale estimate.'
The pair have been metal detecting together for a long time and were together when Mr Sell discovered the bishop's ring.
The proceeds from the sale of the two rings will be shared with the landowners.
The ring found by Mr Sell was bought by a member of the trade, while the ring found by Mr Girling was bought by a private collector.
The bishop's ring dates from the late 12th to early 13th century, and the gold posy ring dates from the 13th to 14th century.
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Two rings found by metal detectorists sell at auction for total of £30,000
Two medieval rings that were unearthed by a pair of metal detectorist friends in fields in Norfolk have sold at auction for a combined total of £30,000. Retired fire service worker Mark Sell found a gold bishop's ring with jewels set in it on King Row in the village of Shipdham in 2019. It was estimated to fetch £15,000 to £18,000, and sold at Noonans Mayfair in London for a hammer price of £19,000 on Wednesday. Mr Sell, 63, of Swaffham, who is planning to use his share of the proceeds to go on a special holiday, said afterwards: 'It was a wonderful price, and I am delighted with the result.' Tree surgeon Richard Girling, also 63, discovered a gold posy ring with a love message inscribed on it while searching a field in Merton, around 20 minutes from his home in Ickburgh, last year. The message translates from Medieval French as 'I love you by faith' or 'I love you faithfully'. The ring, estimated to fetch £6,000 to £8,000, sold for the hammer price of £11,000 at Noonans Mayfair. Mr Girling, who has yet to decide what to spend his share of the money on, said afterwards: 'I was working in a tree at the time of the auction, so didn't know how much the ring had sold for until I saw Mark, and I was amazed that it had sold for almost double the pre-sale estimate.' The pair have been metal detecting together for a long time and were together when Mr Sell discovered the bishop's ring. The proceeds from the sale of the two rings will be shared with the landowners. The ring found by Mr Sell was bought by a member of the trade, while the ring found by Mr Girling was bought by a private collector. The bishop's ring dates from the late 12th to early 13th century, and the gold posy ring dates from the 13th to 14th century.
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