An English resident who could count on one hand the number of times he had used a metal detector to look for treasures made the find of a lifetime in 2019: Under about five inches of dirt, he found a gold and diamond wedding ring. The ring, found in a farmer’s field near the town of Thorncombe, is believed to be from the 1388 wedding of Sir Thomas Brook and Lady Joan Brook.
That day, David Board, 69, had only found a few old copper half pennies when he got a signal near a footpath in a pasture. He thought he had found a gold candy wrapper but saw that it was a ring. He dropped it in his top pocket. A “Finds Liaison Officer” took the ring to the British Museum and confirmed that it was medieval in date and a very rare example. The ring is in almost perfect condition and sold in November for $45,000.
Board said he is going to use the money to help his partner’s daughter buy a house.
Photo: Noonans