Unexpectedly, several weeks later, two more rings were unearthed separately in the same area.
One is inscribed ‘nul IB bien’, which experts think to mean ‘nul ce bien’ a relatively commonplace inscription meaning ‘none so good’ or ‘none this good’. This ring seems to be customised with either a monogram or with the initials of two lovers ‘IB’, reading as ‘none as good as I and B together’. The legend on the fourth ring is more unusual and reads ‘amer et servir’ (love and serve).
According to experts at the British Museum these types of love tokens were common in the 15th century, but finding a hoard of medieval jewellery is a rarity.
"The PAS has been a huge success so far, allowing us to develop a clearer picture of our cultural heritage," explained the Arts Minister, Estelle Morris.
"I salute the thousands of enthusiasts up and down the country who, thanks to the scheme, can now register their finds, and add yet another piece to the jigsaw of history," she added.
"The Government wants to see this work continue, and that is why we are investing a further £1.2m over the period 2006/07 to 2007/08."