A RARE gold ring dating back to the 13th century is set to go under the hammer for thousands of pounds after it was found by a metal detectorist at the seaside. 

Jim Ridge, 44, of Frinton, is an avid fan of metal detecting and regularly posts about his finds and excursions on TikTok as Jimjamdetecting.

He previously found a medieval quarter, a rare noble coin which was in circulation from 1361 to 1369 and is valued anywhere between £300 to £1,500. 

On May 23 last year, however, he made a very special discovery while he was out on a search of the area. 

He said: “I have found gold before, for example, coins, but this was my first gold ring.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Ring - Jim Ridge, from Frinton, found a rare gold ringRing - Jim Ridge, from Frinton, found a rare gold ring (Image: Jim Ridge)

“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure what I had found, but I reported it and received confirmation which said it dates back to the 13th century.” 

Classified as a treasure and valued between £2,000 to £3,000, the find was returned to the finder in November last year but is currently on display at the Harwich Museum.

“I spoke to the landowner, who has allowed me to metal detect on his property, and he said he’d like to put the ring up for sale and he wanted his share of the find," said Jim.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Detecting - Jim Ridge has been metal detecting for two yearsDetecting - Jim Ridge has been metal detecting for two years (Image: Jim Ridge)

“I would have loved to keep the ring, but I have an arrangement with the landowner and so we put it up for auction.” 

The ring used to have a stone as its centrepiece, which has since been refitted by a goldsmith, giving it back its original beauty. 

Jim said: “I have been detecting for two years, but such a find is rare. You don’t find stuff like that often, and then you only find it if you keep looking and looking.” 

Harwich and Manningtree Standard: Find - Metal detectorist Jim Ridge found a medieval ring in FrintonFind - Metal detectorist Jim Ridge found a medieval ring in Frinton (Image: Jim Ridge)

The 44-year-old mainly searches in the Essex coastal area but also travels for weekend events. 

"If anyone has any land in the area they would be willing to let me detect on, feel free to contact me."

Jim's Facebook group Detectorists Gone Wild UK has more than 600 members and some of his videos have attracted thousands of views. 

The ring will be auctioned on June 4 at Timeline Auctions.