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10
Jul 2024
Rare Bronze Age ring found in Ripon up for auction
A rare Bronze Age ring that was found in Ripon and could be 3,000 years old is going up for auction.
The ring, thought to date back to around 1150-750 BC, will be sold at Tennants Auctioneers' Coins, Tokens and Banknotes sale on August 9.
Archaeologists and scholars debate the exact era and function of the ring, but the consensus is that it would have been a high-status symbol. It is assumed to have been a form of 'proto money' used in transactions, or a decorative adornment, perhaps worn in the ear or nose, as a sign of wealth.
This style of ring is called penannular, from a Latin word meaning "almost a ring", or an incomplete circle. Previous examples have most commonly been found in the south of England, usually made of gold strips wrapped around a silver or alloy core.
The ring found in Ripon was tested at the British Museum, and found to be made of gold strips wrapped around a gold core.
It is extremely rare, and will be sold with an estimate of £600-£800, plus buyers' premium.
The Victoria 1887 proof set will be auctioned with an estimate of £15-18,000.
The sale will include several other valuables, including a sought-after Victoria 1887 proof set. Only 797 sets were produced. The 11-coin set, minted for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, is to be sold with an estimate of £15,000-£18,000, excluding buyers' premium.
There are numerous other coins and banknotes up for auction, including a Charles II guinea, from 1683, up for an estimated £1,000-£1,500, and a George V proof crown, from 1935, up for £500-£600.
A complete catalogue will be available on the Tennants Auctioneers' website leading up to the sale.
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