A medieval ring found by a detectorist in Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest is tipped to sell for £50,000.
Mark Thompson, 37, unearthed the gold band in the Nottinghamshire woodland made famous by the outlaw.
It contains a sapphire and would have belonged to someone in the upper echelons of 14th century society – just the sort of bling Robin Hood would have taken from the rich to give to the poor.
The treasure is likely to get paint sprayer Mark on the property ladder after 20 years of renting.
He said: “If it does well at auction, the money will help me get a deposit on a property. It’s the find of a lifetime."
Mark discovered the ring, engraved with images of St Elizabeth of Hungary and the infant Christ, in 2016.
He has spent three years having it identified and going through the legal steps surrounding buried treasure.
It was authenticated and valued by the British Museum and goes on sale at Christie’s of London on November 27.
Mark, who had been detecting for only 18 months before he found it, will split the proceeds with the landowner.
He said: “At first I thought it was some dropped money or rubbish dropped by tourists. I didn’t realise just how
significant it might be.”
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