Flintshire's first piece of Viking treasure has gone on display at Mold Museum, prompting a mystery over how it was lost in the first place.
The gold ring, made in the 9th or 10th Century, was found in a field at Nercwys by two amateur detectorists. The county's principal museums officer, Deborah Snow, said the area has no known Viking settlements.
"It has captured the imagination that 1,000 years ago somebody was walking there and dropped the ring," she said.
The ring, which is decorated with ridges on the outside, was declared treasure trove after it was found 5in (12.5 cms) down in grassland near Mold in October 2004. It was valued at £1,500 and bought by the county's museum service as the first Viking-era piece in its collection.
Ms Snow said: "We can't say definitely it was Viking but the style would indicate so. The high purity of the gold, at 94%, is typical of this early date.
'Stray find'
"It is unusual in this area as there aren't any known Viking sites in Flintshire. The nearest are on the coast or in Chester. Because it was a stray find, there was no context to it. We have no idea who it was who lost it. We've had people suggest that maybe someone was on their way to propose with a gold ring. You can think of many things."
The ring has gone on permanent display on the first floor at Mold Museum and Art Gallery. Admission is free of charge.
(BBC News - 6 March 2007)
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