Amateur treasure hunter hits gold (From Salisbury Journal)

Amateur treasure hunter hits gold

7:10am Thursday 23rd September 2010 in News By Annie Riddle

WHEN amateur treasure hunter Dave Iles dug up a ring near Amesbury, he thought it was a trinket from a Christmas cracker and nearly threw it away.

But it turned out to be a survivor from the late medieval period.

On Tuesday it was declared treasure trove at an inquest in Devizes, and now it will be sent to the British Museum to value.

Dave, a sergeant in the Royal Engineers, struck lucky in January, within two months of taking up the hobby.

It was only his second or third field trip with his friend Steve Henstridge when he found the ring.

“I didn’t have much of an idea what I was doing,” he said. “I went ploughing off on my own, pulling up bits of nails and horseshoes. Steve was a few metres away.

“All of a sudden I got a signal in the headpiece and pulled this ring up.

“At first glance it looked like something you would get in a cracker - cheap and nasty with a funny pattern on it. I put it in a box with everything else.

“I was thinking of throwing it away and I told him what I thought of it.

“Steve said ‘I think it’s a little bit better than that’.”

Experts at Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum – where it may end up - have said the silver gilt ring dates back to between 1400 and 1550.

The ring would have belonged to some of high status, such as a clergyman.

Dave, 51, who lives in Warminster, would not disclose where it was found.

“All I can say is that it was somewhere near Amesbury and that the landowner has very kindly said that if Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum would like to buy the ring, he would forego his half of its value.

“It’s worth hundreds of pounds rather than a fantastic amount, but at least my share will pay for my metal detector.”