PREVIEW: JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU: 12 MARCH

A wealth of historic rings uncovered by detectorists in recent years provide highlights in Noonans’ 12 March auction. One notable example is the Ashfield Ring. This rare lady’s gold seal ring, dating to the 17th century, circa 1615-1620, was found at Roydon, Suffolk by retired carpenter Alan Rumsby, aged 75, on 4 October 2020.

He had searched the stubble field where he found this ring several times before without success, but eventually found it hidden at a depth of just 9 inches.

It was Alan’s first ‘gold’ find in more than 10 years of detecting. “It was only after it was taken to the Museum that I realised how significant this discovery was,” he said.

The British Museum had originally declared an interest in acquiring the ring, but later disclaimed it, allowing Alan to sell it on behalf of himself and the landowner.

The find spot is five miles from the manor house and old hall of Brockdish which, in the 15th century, was owned by John Tendring. One of his five daughters (and co-heirs), Cecily, became the second wife of Robert Ashfield (1409-1459) of Stowlangtoft Hall, about 15 miles away. Robert Ashfield’s son, from his first marriage, Robert Ashfield (1430-1482) married Florence Boteler, the daughter of John Boteler and Joan Mapersall (the daughter of John Mapersall of Mapersal or Meppersall, Bedfordshire). Their great, great, grandson, Robert Ashfield (1537-1613), had five sons and four daughters. Their third son Thomas Ashfield married Ellen Holditch and they had two daughters, Dorothy and Penelope Ashfield.

As Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin Expert at Noonans explained: “The ring is historically important because it is extremely rare to find a seal ring of this period that was worn by a woman. This is indicated using a lozenge-shaped coat of arms on the bezel of the ring. The arms are divided into four, each representing her ancestral family heritage, namely Ashfield; Tendring; Botelier and finally Mapersall. The five-pointed star in the centre of the arms represents a third son so we believe the ring was owned by Dorothy Ashfield who was born in 1594, the eldest daughter of the third son Thomas Ashfield of Hopton in Suffolk and his wife Ellen Holditch of Ranworth in Norfolk.”


The lozenge shape of the coat of arms was used as early as the 15th century to denote an unmarried woman. The estimate is £14,000-16,000.

Another detectorist highlight in this sale is a late 13th century gold and emerald ring found near Chipping Ongar, Essex in 2020.

It features a rectangular cabochon emerald inset within a raised pyramidal-shaped collet of transverse rectangular form. The hoop is of D-section, the exterior decorated to each side of the bezel with a quatrefoil of leaves and a trefoil of annulets to the centre, the hoop with multiple punched annulets within lozenge shapes merging into spirals. Measuring 22 x 25mm, it has a guide estimate of £5,000-6,000.

Another detectorist ring found in Eartham, near Fontwell in West Sussex, came to light in November 2019. The nearby 12th century church of St Margaret is first mentioned in 1157 when Bishop Hilary gave it to Richard, the chaplain of Chichester.

According to a verbal report from GCS, the cabochon is confirmed as paste/glass, while the legend inscribed around the exterior of the ring is in Lombardic script reading ‘SI ESTRE ∙ I PVIS ∙ PARTIR ∙ NON ∙ AVIS ∙ VALETE’. It is likely to be a French proverbial motto translating as ‘Thus to be and then to part is not worthy of (good) opinion’. It can alternatively be translated as ‘If we are parted, this has no value/is worthless’. The estimate is £4,000-5,000.

A further detectorist find offered for sale is an early 14th century seal matrix. It was discovered near Fingrith Hall, a settlement recorded in the Domesday Book at Blackmore in Essex. An Augustinian Priory also existed here before its dissolution in 1525.

The seal face is engraved with a shield bearing a stag’s head in profile, the field crosshatched and edged by an inscription in Lombardic lettering reading ‘s’oov hic ami brovthertov’ (Seal is a friend of Brotherton). The surname Brotherton originates in North Yorkshire at the village of Brotherton. Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1300-1338) was the fifth son of Edward I. He was buried at the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds. The seal face is virtually unmarked, all the details remaining sharp. The estimate is £1,000-1,200.

Two other ancient rings of note in the auction are both from the late 15th century and from private collections. The first is a gold iconographic Annunciation ring, the band of D-shaped cross section decorated to the exterior with diagonal lines of beading around the hoop.

It has a rectangular flat bezel with convex sides, the opposing sides concave, to the right depicting the Virgin Mary crowned, to the left the Archangel Gabriel facing Mary, his right hand raised, between angled shoulders each with shield-shaped panels incised with a lily, and the interior of the bezel engraved in black lettering ‘ma foy’ (my faith). Consigned from a UK collection, it was acquired from F. R. Cooper & Sons of Colchester in the 1970s and is offered here with an estimate of £4,000-5,000.

The second is a gold seal ring, with raised octagonal bezel engraved with an eagle rising with wings displayed and inverted. The shoulders of the ring are angled and fluted in three panels to the exterior, engraved with sprigs of foliage topped with ten petal flowerheads, some leaves with white enamel inlay. The rear of the hoop is decorated with diagonal bands, the interior with inscription in black letters ‘x honor et joie’ inlaid with white enamel. It carries hopes of £8,000-10,000.

As Noonans’ Associate Director and Head of Jewellery Frances Noble said: “These rings and seals carry a wealth of history matched by artistic beauty and craftsmanship that shed a fascinating light on the past. It is a delight to be able to offer them alongside fine examples of later antique and modern jewellery.”