A rare 14th-century gold seal ring discovered by two metal detectorists in eastern England could have belonged to Matilda of Lancaster, Countess of Ulster. Found in a ploughed field in Suffolk, the medieval ring is expected to sell for £10,000–£12,000 at auction later this month.
The ring was discovered in April 2024, near Stoke Ash, Suffolk, by friends Aaron Pizzey and James Race. The pair had already searched two fields without success before deciding to try one more. Pizzey, an engineering lecturer in West Suffolk, recalled:
That morning had proved fruitless on the first two fields we had searched, so we tried one more field. I had a faulty headset and was about to throw it into the hedge when Jim, who is a product development engineer said: ”It’s a good omen, you’ll find Gold” Thirty seconds later my Minelab Nox 800 gave a cracking signal, digging down I saw in a clod of earth the colour of gold. “Gold!” I shouted to Jim who ignored me thinking it was a joke. Then he saw me waving holding the seal with a big grin on my face.
The find was subsequently reported to the local finds liaison officer and recorded. The proceeds from its sale will be divided with the landowner.
A link to Matilda of Lancaster?
The ring features a medieval carnelian intaglio depicting a griffin walking to the left. The stone is set within an oval gold bezel surrounded by an inscription in Lombardic script.
“The seal ring has a Medieval carnelian intaglio engraved with the image of a Griffin walking to the left, set in the centre of the gold oval bezel which has a flat border inscribed in lombardic script “GRIFFVnMATILIELEMATILIOVR” which may translate as ‘griffin Matilda the maternal countess’,” explains Nigel Mills, a consultant to Noonans. “This could suggest the ring belonged to Matilda of Lancaster who became countess of Ulster. In 1347-8 she became a canoness of the Augustinian Campsey Priory just 20 miles from where the ring was found.”
The proposed identification is particularly intriguing because of the ring’s proximity to Campsey Priory. However, Noonans presents the connection with Matilda of Lancaster as a possibility rather than a confirmed attribution.
The ring will be offered by Noonans in London on September 22 as part of its Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu auction. It carries an estimate of £10,000–£12,000.
A rare 14th-century gold seal ring discovered by two metal detectorists in eastern England could have belonged to Matilda of Lancaster, Countess of Ulster. Found in a ploughed field in Suffolk, the medieval ring is expected to sell for £10,000–£12,000 at auction later this month.
The ring was discovered in April 2024, near Stoke Ash, Suffolk, by friends Aaron Pizzey and James Race. The pair had already searched two fields without success before deciding to try one more. Pizzey, an engineering lecturer in West Suffolk, recalled:
That morning had proved fruitless on the first two fields we had searched, so we tried one more field. I had a faulty headset and was about to throw it into the hedge when Jim, who is a product development engineer said: ”It’s a good omen, you’ll find Gold” Thirty seconds later my Minelab Nox 800 gave a cracking signal, digging down I saw in a clod of earth the colour of gold. “Gold!” I shouted to Jim who ignored me thinking it was a joke. Then he saw me waving holding the seal with a big grin on my face.
The find was subsequently reported to the local finds liaison officer and recorded. The proceeds from its sale will be divided with the landowner.
A link to Matilda of Lancaster?
The ring features a medieval carnelian intaglio depicting a griffin walking to the left. The stone is set within an oval gold bezel surrounded by an inscription in Lombardic script.
“The seal ring has a Medieval carnelian intaglio engraved with the image of a Griffin walking to the left, set in the centre of the gold oval bezel which has a flat border inscribed in lombardic script “GRIFFVnMATILIELEMATILIOVR” which may translate as ‘griffin Matilda the maternal countess’,” explains Nigel Mills, a consultant to Noonans. “This could suggest the ring belonged to Matilda of Lancaster who became countess of Ulster. In 1347-8 she became a canoness of the Augustinian Campsey Priory just 20 miles from where the ring was found.”
The proposed identification is particularly intriguing because of the ring’s proximity to Campsey Priory. However, Noonans presents the connection with Matilda of Lancaster as a possibility rather than a confirmed attribution.
The ring will be offered by Noonans in London on September 22 as part of its Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu auction. It carries an estimate of £10,000–£12,000.
Click here to visit the Noonan’s auction for this item
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Facts Only
* Aaron Pizzey and James Race discovered a 14th-century gold seal ring in April 2024.
* The find occurred in a ploughed field near Stoke Ash, Suffolk, England.
* The ring features a gold oval bezel with a carnelian intaglio depicting a griffin walking left.
* A Lombardic script inscription reads "GRIFFVnMATILIELEMATILIOVR".
* Nigel Mills, a consultant to Noonans, translates the script as "griffin Matilda the maternal countess".
* Matilda of Lancaster became a canoness of Augustinian Campsey Priory in 1347-8.
* Campsey Priory is located 20 miles from the discovery site.
* The find was reported to the local finds liaison officer.
* Sale proceeds will be shared with the landowner.
* Noonans will auction the ring in London on September 22.
* The estimated auction value is £10,000–£12,000.
Executive Summary
A 14th-century gold seal ring has been recovered from a field near Stoke Ash, Suffolk, by metal detectorists Aaron Pizzey and James Race. The artifact consists of a gold bezel and a carnelian intaglio featuring a griffin, accompanied by a Lombardic inscription that likely references a "maternal countess" named Matilda.
There is a compelling but unconfirmed link between the ring and Matilda of Lancaster, the Countess of Ulster. This hypothesis is based on the translation of the inscription and the ring's proximity—approximately 20 miles—to Campsey Priory, where Matilda served as a canoness starting in 1347-8. While the geographic and nominal connections are intriguing, the attribution remains a possibility rather than a certainty. The item is scheduled for auction via Noonans in London on September 22, with an expected sale price between £10,000 and £12,000.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative is a classic archaeological "cold case" where geographic proximity and epigraphic evidence suggest a link to a specific historical figure, adding significant provenance and value to a physical object.
This narrative operates in SKEPTICAL MODE. The primary driver is the intersection of hobbyist discovery and commercial valuation. There is a subtle tension between the academic possibility of the ring's origin and the financial estimate provided for the auction. The framing utilizes the allure of nobility to elevate a find from a "gold ring" to a "relic of the Countess of Ulster," though the attribution is carefully qualified as a possibility to avoid claims of misrepresentation.
Patterns detected: none
The root cause of this narrative is the human desire to connect tangible objects to named histories. It assumes that the proximity to Campsey Priory is a meaningful indicator of ownership, though it acknowledges this as a proposal rather than a fact. The primary beneficiaries are the discoverers, the landowner, and the auction house, all of whom benefit from the higher valuation that a royal or noble connection provides.
Bridge Questions:
1. What other "Matildas" of similar status existed in the 14th century within a reasonable distance of Suffolk?
2. Does the specific heraldry of the griffin align with the known arms of the House of Lancaster or the Earldom of Ulster?
3. How common was the "maternal countess" phrasing in 14th-century Lombardic script?
Counterstrike Scan:
An influence campaign would use this as a "soft power" signal to manufacture a historical claim to land or lineage by fabricating a provenance. The actual content is a straightforward report of an auction item and does not match this pattern.
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like standard investigative reporting, effectively blending specific details of a physical find with speculative historical conjecture, consistent with journalistic practice.