Rare 10th century Saxon gold ring found in West Sussex field expected to fetch up to £12,000

On Father’s Day in 2021 46-year-old Peter Pawel, who owns a construction company, was going out for the morning on a group dig with the Sussex Metal Detecting Group. It was on a pasture field near Greatham, near Pulborough at around 9am that Peter, using his Equinox 800 metal detector first found a musket ball and then a shot gun cartridge.

He said: “The next signal at a depth of around 10 centimetres, I saw a yellow colour in the clump of clay. Looking closely, it looked like gold but thought it was just a cheap funfair item.”

He then took it to the dig organiser who realised it was something spectacular. Peter has only been detecting for one year and this is his best find so far, and he will be sharing the money equally with the landowners and hopes to spend some of his money on a family holiday.

London-based auctioneers Noonans, suggest the historic jewellery is extremely rare and could have religious significance.

The ring has also been disclaimed as treasure, which means money from the sale will be split between Peter and the owner of the land where he found it.

Nigel Mills, Coin & Artefact Specialist at Noonans said: “The ring is a 10th century gold finger ring decorated with filigree and inlaid on the bezel with green and blue enamel forming an expanding cross. The ring has been recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme and disclaimed as treasure.”

He goes on to note: “In 1086, the village where the ring was found was recorded as Gretham (Norman spelling) with the Manor House owned by Queen Edith, widow of Edward the Confessor and regarded as the richest woman in England. Lavish rings from the 10th and 11th century are rare and normally have a religious significance.”

Greatham is a popular metal detectorist area as it used to be called Terra Regis, meaning "Land of the King".