Treasure hunter awaits outcome of Meon Valley find

Waterlooville resident, Peter Beasley, 78, was metal detecting with fellow amateur archaeologist, Lee McGowan, 52, when he made the discovery in a farmers field close to West Meon village. Mr Beasley believes the ring dates back to the late Norman period and could be a wedding ring.

‘I was walking back up the field when my metal detector made a noise. I had been over this patch of ground hundreds of times but after digging down I found what looked like a gold ring,’ he said.

The item has now been passed on to Hampshire County Council’s finds liaison officer, Katie Hinds, where, under the Treasure Act, it now has to go through an official process of confirming what the item is and validating whether it’s classed as treasure.

Katie said: ‘It will probably need to go to the British Museum for a curator to see and it is they who will decide on its date and final identification.’

Mr Beasley has a history of archaeological discoveries. In 2010 he sold a solid gold Roman pendant for £30,000 and in 1996 he uncovered a collection of Roman coins which were sold to the British Museum for £103,000. More recently, on March 13, 2016, Mr Beasley discovered a coin depicting two horses which the British Museum dated as between 50BC to 30BC.