Celtic Ruler’s Ring Goes Sold For £36,000 At Auction

A 2,000-year-old gold ring believed to have been worn by a Celtic ruler could go on display in York after being sold at auction for £36,000.

The “jaw-dropping” jewellery was bought by a British private collector on Wednesday after it spent the last 28 years in its previous owner’s cupboard.

The Yorkshire Museum is now in talks with the buyer about displaying the “rare and beautiful object”.

The Iron Age ring was unearthed in a field in North Yorkshire in the 1990s.

Dating back to about 100BC, it was thought to have been worn by a chieftain of the Corieltauvi tribe, which ruled parts of what are now the Midlands and Yorkshire before the Roman invasion.

Auction house Noonans had expected the ring to fetch between £24,000 and £30,000 on Wednesday.

Nigel Mills, specialist in ancient jewellery at the firm, said: “We were delighted with the result of this beautiful ring.”

He added the auctioneers were “so pleased” the item was staying in the UK and said the buyer now wanted to loan the ring so the public could view it.