A CHARD man has hit the jackpot after a valuable 300-year-old ring he found was sold at auction for more than £3,000.

Colin Spiller found the ring in Burstock, West Dorset, when he was taking part in a metal detecting day with his stepson Ashley Miner .

The ring, which was made around 300 years ago, commemorates the death of someone with the initials 'LW'.

The ring for £3,360 at an auction in London after taking it to Dix Noonan Webb, an international coins, medals and jewellery specialist.

Chard & Ilminster News:

The ring was included in the lot with a pre-sale estimate of £800-£1,200, but the bidding quickly heated up. The hammer slammed down at £2,800, which Mr Spiller will split 50/50 with the farmer on whose land the ring was found. By the time the auction house's commission was added, the London dealer who bought the item parted with £3,360.

Mr Spiller, who has been a keen metal detectorist for 12 years, said: "I am really, really pleased with the result.

“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at Dix Noonan Webb.

"The ring was a fantastic find. I thought about keeping it but it would only have stayed in the back of a drawer.

“To be honest, I thought it was a modern piece at first because it was black and I did not know that this was enamelling.

"Then Ashley put his finger through the middle of the ring to clear out the earth and we saw the date. We did a high five."

Mr Spiller was advised by Laura Smith from DNW who said the ring was a "poignant find".

“We are delighted that this ring – which was such a poignant find – fetched such a high price," she said.

“Mourning rings were worn to commemorate loved ones who had passed away and one cannot help but wonder who ‘I.W.’ was and what sort of life he or she lived.”

Mr Spiller added: “I didn’t know exactly what it was until Laura Smith advised me. It’s historic and the most valuable thing I have ever found.

"We registered it with Taunton Museum and the Portable Antiquities Scheme and I will be splitting the money with the farmer.

"It has been a great experience and I am now looking forward to more days out detecting.”