Detectorists discover 14th-century ring worth £10k in field - despite almost giving up due to faulty headset

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 04:36 EDT, 22 September 2026 | Updated: 04:38 EDT, 22 September 2026 A medieval gold ring discovered by two metal detectorists is expected to sell for £10,000 at auction when it goes under the hammer today.Friends Aaron Pizzey, 30, and James Race, 39, found the rare item in a ploughed field near Stoke Ash in Suffolk, in April 2024.The pair of metal detectorists made their discovery despite almost giving up due to a faulty headset, which Mr Pizzey said he was about to 'throw into a hedge in frustration'.They had searched two fields to no avail on April Fool's Day in 2024 and reluctantly decided to try and search a third one.Mr Pizzey said: 'That morning had proved fruitless on the first two fields we had searched, so we tried one more field.''I had a faulty headset and was about to throw it into the hedge when Jim said: 'It's a good omen, you'll find gold.''His intuition proved to be correct as just 30 seconds later, Mr Pizzey's detector gave a cracking signal, indicating something was underneath his feet. Aaron Pizzey, 30, and 39-year-old James Race, who discovered a gold ring while metal detecting on April Fool's Day in 2024 The medieval gold seal ring is excpected to fetch around £10,000 at auction todayHe added: 'Digging down I saw in a clod of earth the colour of gold. ''Gold!' I shouted to Jim who ignored me thinking it was a joke. 'Then he saw me waving and holding the seal [ring] with a big grin on my face.The two friends have not disclosed the precise location of the find, but declared the item to the local finds liaison officer. Engineering lecturer Mr Pizzey and product development engineer Mr Race, will split the proceeds from the sale with the landowner who allowed them to search.They said the money would be spent on a new metal detector as well as some home renovations. Nigel Mills, a consultant to Noonans Mayfair, said the ring may have belonged to a medieval English princess.He said: 'The seal ring has a Medieval carnelian intaglio engraved with the image of a Griffin walking to the left, set in the centre of the gold oval bezel, which has a flat border inscribed in lombardic script "GRIFFVnMATILIELEMATILIOVR" which may translate as "griffin Matilda the maternal countess." 'This could suggest the ring belonged to Matilda of Lancaster who became countess of Ulster. 'In 1347-8 she became a canoness of the Augustinian Campsey Priory just 20 miles from where the ring was found.'Matilda of Lancaster was a great-granddaughter of King Henry III and also had French royal ancestry.However, Noonans said the connection with Matilda of Lancaster is a possibility rather than a confirmed attribution.The ring will be auctioned today as part of the Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu auction.