A CAMPAIGN to raise £2,000 to purchase a rare 350-year-old gold ring found in Wotton-under-Edge last year has been launched.

Stroud’s Museum in the Park – which is run through a partnership between Stroud District Council and the Stroud District (Cowle) Museum Trust – has expressed an interest in purchasing the posy ring for its collection following its appraisal at the British Museum.

The post-medieval ring, which is engraved with the inscription ‘Let Love Abide, Tell Death Divide’, was unearthed in March 2016 by Kenneth Pryor and, as required under the Treasure Act 1996, was reported to Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court.

Following an inquest in October, the ring, which is marked with the stamp of London jeweller John East who was working between 1656 and 1707, was officially declared treasure.

It has now been given a £2,000 valuation which the museum must raise in order to buy it.

“Now that the ring has been assessed and valued we are hoping to be able to raise the money to purchase the ring – hopefully in time for the [20th] anniversary of the Treasure Act [in July],” said Alexia Clark, the museum’s documentations and collections officer.

As part of a British Museum campaign, Museum in the Park will be taking part in ‘Summer of Treasure’, hosting a series of events celebrating the act. Each year the museum is offered several pieces of treasure for purchase under the act, buying about half of them.

Alexia said: “We don’t have anything from Wotton from that era, so it fits well with our policy.” 

Donations to its campaign to purchase the ring can be made at the museum. Further information is available by calling 01453 763394.