A gold ring discovered by a treasure hunter on the shores of Loch Lomond has sold for more than £17,000 at auction.
Metal detectorist Michelle Vall struck gold when she found the jewellery while exploring Duck Bay with her husband last November.
She was holidaying in the area when she came across the immaculately preserved signet ring under six inches of mud.
She declared the ring to the Scottish Treasure Trove Unit at the National Museum of Scotland but was told in June the museum did not want to buy it.
After it was returned, she contacted auction house Dix Noonan Webb (DNW), which discovered the ring’s fascinating history.
It valued the historic piece at £10,000 but last week it sold for £17,360 at an auction in London.
It has now emerged that it belonged to a king’s courtier who was wrongly executed for treason almost 350 years ago.
Edward Colman worked for King Charles II before being hung, drawn and quartered in 1678.
There was also a recent new discovery that on the inside of the ring beneath the Colman crest is an engraved “I” for Jesus, a personal symbol that could indicate that the owner was a member of the “Jesuits”, an undercover society of Catholics which was illegal in England at that time.
Following the sale, she said: “It has been an exciting time from the second I held the ring in the palm of my hand to today’s auction.
“To investigate something so precious and full of history with the help of Dix Noonan Webb and the story that has unfolded has been the most amazing experience.”
She continued: “I am hoping the ring has been purchased by someone who is able to display it and so educate people on the tragic story of Edward Colman and his unfortunate execution, so it can be appreciated for the historical treasure that it is.”
DNW’s antiquities specialist, Nigel Mills, said: “We were very pleased with a strong result at the auction today.
“The ring selling above top estimate to an American private collector, who was delighted to be the successful bidder.”
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