'Gold find was like a win on the pools'
THE finder of a 3,000-year-old gold ring in Buntingford has described his discovery as like "winning the pools".
Clive Nobbs, of Worthing in West Sussex, a self-confessed metal detecting "anorak", found the Bronze Age penannular ring on a specially-organised day in a field near Buntingford last August.
"The metal detecting club approached the farmer to see if we could search their land," Mr Nobbs said.
"The arrangement is that anything of value will be reported and any reward split with the landowner.
"You go out there to enjoy the location and the thrill of not knowing what you are going to find."
He added: "It is a very 'anoraky' hobby. The money is not the important bit - it is the thrill of finding something." At an inquest last week, coroner Edward Thomas ruled that a panel should decide on the value of the ring and a reward for the finder. It is thought it could fetch £700-£1,000.
As the Mercury reported, Gillian Varndell, the curator of the pre-history and Europe department at the British Museum, authenticated the gem as a penannular - almost ringlike - ring dating from 1150BC- 750BC.
It was found after almost six hours search ing a field with the metal detector, which can tell a valuable piece of metal from a worth less nail.
"The machine found something buried 12 or 14 inches [30cm-35cm] deep in the soil and made of a conductive metal, like gold or sil ver," said Mr Nobbs.
He dug up the patch of soil and unearthed the piece of ancient jewellery.
"I knew immediately it was a penannular ring," he said. "It is like winning the pools. They are one of those things that you are always hoping to find but are quite rare - only one or two of them are found by metal detectors each year.
"It was in a field where quite a few other people had been searching but I was the lucky one to stumble across the ring.
"Up until that point I had found nothing of interest, just a bit of farm rubbish."
Mr Nobbs said he hoped the ring would be put on display somewhere in the local area.
"These rings are interesting historical artefacts. Nobody can say for certain what they were used for, but this one showed wear on the inside, which suggests it was worn on belt or necklace.
"I think it was perhaps a medal of honour for a tribal leader or a dignitary."
The precise location where the ring was found cannot be disclosed to prevent other people conducting unauthorised digs.
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