A RARE silver hunting ring used by aristocrats 400 years ago has been found in East Yorkshire.
The vervel, which was used in hawking, was discovered on land near Sutton-on-Derwent. The artefact is believed to date back from the 17th century.
It was found by metal detecting enthusiast Peter Race, of York. Mr Race, 43, said: "It is my first treasure find, so it was very exciting.
"When that bleep goes, you never know what its going to be – that's part of the fun of the hobby. "When I got it out of the ground, I showed it to some friends and one suggested it might be a hawking ring – and that's what it turned out to be."
Trevor Austin, the general secretary of the National Council for Metal Detecting, said there are two main types of vervel – one that is flat like a washer and one like a ring with a shield on top of it.
He said: "This discovery is uncommon – I've never found one. They are a nice item to discover."
The cast silver post-medieval vervel consists of a circular ring inscribed with the named F Vaghan. The shield-shaped element on it shows a male head with a snake wrapped around his throat – which is attributed to the Vaughan family, of Sutton, East Yorkshire, Herefordshire and Wales.
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