10th-Century Saxon Ring Unearthed in West Sussex Field, Anticipated to Fetch £12,000 at Auction

A millennium-old ring, discovered in a West Sussex field, is poised to command a price exceeding £10,000 at this month’s auction.

Peter Pawel, 46, unearthed the Saxon-era jewellery using his metal detector while searching near Pulborough in 2021. The ring, potentially belonging to royalty, is projected to sell for a substantial sum by the end of November.

Reflecting on the discovery, Peter recounted finding the ring on Father’s Day in June 2021, fulfilling a promise to his nine-year-old daughter, Maya, that he would “bring home gold today.” To his surprise, the ring emerged from a Greatham pasture field, despite Peter having only used a metal detector for approximately a year at the time.

“I noticed a yellow hue in the clump of clay. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be gold, though initially dismissed as a cheap funfair item,” Peter added.

Experts from Noonans auction house revealed that the ring, adorned with filigree and inlaid with green and blue enamel, hails from the 10th century. It was duly recorded and disclaimed as treasure.

Nigel Mills, a coin and artefact specialist, noted, “In 1086, the village where the ring was found was documented as Gretham, 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 centuries are rare and typically possess religious significance.”

Scheduled for auction on November 28, the ring is anticipated to secure up to £12,000. Peter intends to divide the proceeds with the landowners, using his share for a family holiday.

This development coincides with reports indicating that treasure finds in West Sussex reached record highs last year, a trend that has been on the rise since the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The figures for West Sussex in particular were the highest since 1979 when records began.

The rise has been attributed to a growing number of people taking up metal detecting as a hobby.

A Department for Culture, Media and Sport survey found an estimated 1% of adults in England said they had taken part in metal detecting at least once in the last 12 months.