Tom Asprey decided to get himself a metal detector after seeing the finds his pal Steve Porter had pulled out of the ground in the local area.
The 28-year-old from Albrighton said: “It was only my second time out. I had seen what Steve was bringing back and I thought I’d give it a try. But I didn’t want to spend thousands so bough a £600 metal detector, which is a fraction of what other people have paid.”
He and Steve joined more than 30 members of the Shrewsbury and Shropshire and Dudley metal detecting clubs at a dig in a field in Pattingham on December 3.
In just two hours Tom had unearthed a gold mourning ring, dating back to the 17th century, which is one of the biggest finds anybody at the clubs have ever unearthed.
