Gold Stirrup Ring....Found 2008 Update from BM

[Silver Searcher]

Most of you will know that back in 2008 I was lucky enough to find a 13th century Gold Stirrup ring I declared the find under the treasure act http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,177320.0.html

It's taken a while, and a bit of pestering through emails, but I finally have the Gold content of the ring, and analysis of the blue stone. From the British Museum.....

Non-destructive X-ray flouresence analysis of the surface of a Gold finger ring found in Durham, indicated a Gold content of 70-74%, Silver content of 14-16%, the remainder being copper. The blue stone was identified by Raman spectroscopy as corundom. Corundom with a blue coluration is known as Sapphire.

Now it's just the wait for the valuation commitee to sit in Febuary they have given a provisionall valuation of £2000 not bad for an afternoons work ....

PS...the pictures are from the BM, not mine

SS

 

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[CRUSADER]

you know what I think

No I don't

I think you did the right thing..

 

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[Silver Searcher]

you know what I think

No I don't

I think you did the right thing..

In the long run....Yes, but doe's the Treasure act work... there is a long way to go

SS

 

[CRUSADER]

you know what I think

No I don't

I think you did the right thing..

In the long run....Yes, but doe's the Treasure act work... there is a long way to go

SS

You know I won't argue over that point, its broken already. I know plenty of ways of speeding it up but they are intrenched bureaucrats.

 

[Charmin]

Hi Silver Searcher---just a question for you......Who decides what museum gets the item? Is it the museum that offers the most for the item? or is it the British Government who decides the final value? and then they(British Government) say where its going?
You and Crusader always find the most beautiful and unusual things---but this ring is one of my favorites !

sandcreek~~

 

[CRUSADER]

Hi Silver Searcher---just a question for you......Who decides what museum gets the item? Is it the museum that offers the most for the item? or is it the British Government who decides the final value? and then they(British Government) say where its going?
You and Crusader always find the most beautiful and unusual things---but this ring is one of my favorites !

sandcreek~~

It has a fixed value based on a committee valuation (made up of various experts & they do a more than fair job, in my experience), you can appeal & get an independant assessment done. The British Museum has first shot at it & then its normally the most local Museum to the findspot. Its only brought if they have the funds available at the time, otherwise its returned. (Museums express an interest & can fight over it sometimes)

Sorry SS for answering your question

 

[Silver Searcher]

Hi Silver Searcher---just a question for you......Who decides what museum gets the item? Is it the museum that offers the most for the item? or is it the British Government who decides the final value? and then they(British Government) say where its going?
You and Crusader always find the most beautiful and unusual things---but this ring is one of my favorites !

sandcreek~~

sandcreek hi...... the British Museum have first refusal, then it's offered around the outhers, thankfully the Bowes Museum has expressed an interest to acquiring the ring this will keep it local to me.
As for value, a provisional value is placed on the item by experts in the field, you then can get your own independent valuation but this is difficult, do you base the valuation on what a dealer would pay or what a collector would pay this is one of the gray areas, also a lot of dealers are unwilling to give out valuations when they know they haven't a chance of purchasing the item I have been researching over the last couple of weeks, trying to get some idea of what the ring might be worth have seen them between £3500 and a whopping £14000 for the best ones, I would place mine in the £2000- £3000 bracket

SS

 

[Charmin]

Hi Silver Searcher---just a question for you......Who decides what museum gets the item? Is it the museum that offers the most for the item? or is it the British Government who decides the final value? and then they(British Government) say where its going?
You and Crusader always find the most beautiful and unusual things---but this ring is one of my favorites !

sandcreek~~

sandcreek hi...... the British Museum have first refusal, then it's offered around the outhers, thankfully the Bowes Museum has expressed an interest to acquiring the ring this will keep it local to me.
As for value, a provisional value is placed on the item by experts in the field, you then can get your own independent valuation but this is difficult, do you base the valuation on what a dealer would pay or what a collector would pay this is one of the gray areas, also a lot of dealers are unwilling to give out valuations when they know they haven't a chance of purchasing the item I have been researching over the last couple of weeks, trying to get some idea of what the ring might be worth have seen them between £3500 and a whopping £14000 for the best ones, I would place mine in the £2000- £3000 bracket

SS

That's good that it will be kept in a local museum, Silver Searcher, so you can go look at it whenever you want! And many others will get to enjoy it also! And getting £3000 for the ring would be like finding money on the ground ! Good for you!!!
Thanks(Silver Searcher & Crusader) for answering my questions!
sandcreek