LOCAL treasure hunter Neil Webb has been featured in a national magazine’s October issue after the Coroner formally registered his ‘find of a lifetime’ - a complete Middle Bronze Age gold band - as treasure.

Neil, who has been detecting for around two years, catching up on an interest in history first shown in youth, spotted a yellowish glint in the six inch clod identified by his Minelab Manticore when out detecting in 15 acres of Penally pasture with friend Darren Walker last November.

“To be fair, I wasn’t that excited to begin with as many of the ring pulls we had unearthed were of the same hue,” he told Treasure Hunting Magazine. When Neil realised it was something of far more interest, he celebrated with a “Saturday Night Fever-inspired ‘gold dance’”, despite the ever-increasing rainfall.

“We could see that there no hallmarks or similar inscriptions evident, so we knew we had something that was potentially very old.”

He took the ring-shaped find to local expert Jason Sallam at his antiques shop in Tenby, who advised Neil to contact the Finds Liaison Officer. FLO George Whattley from the Cardiff National Museum said he thought it could be Bronze Age and urged Neil to drive to Cardiff with his find as it was too valuable to send in the post.

After analysis, a six-page report was produced: Neil’s gold band has external diameter 26.7mm and is constructed of five fused wires soldered together, consisting of 85.562% gold, 14.046% silver and 0.392% copper. The band dates from 1300-1500 BC and is too large for a finger ring so more likely a thumb or toe ring, or possibly even a decorative dagger hilt band.

The report also mentions a possible Bronze Age settlement consisting of an oval enclosure near to where the treasure was found.