ILMINSTER — Kevin Minto discovered a gold Roman ring near Ilminster, Somerset in 2018. The South West Heritage Trust later acquired the ring and a hoard of 297 Roman coins from the same site for £78,000, ensuring the artifacts will remain in Somerset.

The ring weighs 48 grams, dates to around AD 297, and depicts the goddess Victoria driving a two-horse chariot. Minto, a 68-year-old lorry driver, former soldier, and metal detectorist, initially mistook the find for a coin, then a brooch, before realizing it was a ring. "It’s hard to explain what it feels like when you find something like that," Minto said. "It was like being hit by an express train. At first I thought it was a coin, then a brooch, and then realised it was a ring. You’re a little dumbfounded, really. One of the boys I was with was screaming: ‘We’re rich, we’re rich.’"

Minto had first found Roman coins at the site in 2017 and continued detecting there, later uncovering a lead-lined coffin on another visit. The ring was likely buried as part of a hoard that included coins, lead, and pottery objects during a period of regional unrest between 286 and 296 CE. Amal Khreisheh, senior curator at the South West Heritage Trust, said the find helps shed light on how south Somerset’s Roman inhabitants navigated that period of unrest. She noted there were wealthy Romans in the Ilminster area at the time and important trade routes.

"The Ilminster ring is both large and heavy, with elaborate gold work and a beautifully executed intaglio," Khreisheh said. "While other examples are known, these elements combine to create a spectacular ring that is only paralleled by continental discoveries." She noted a contrast between the simple elegance of the gemstone design and the "extravagant" amount of gold used. "Usually archaeologists handle broken things – such as pieces of pottery or animal bones. Things like this don’t come along very often," she added.

The £78,000 payment was split between the landowner, who received half, and Minto, who shared his portion with a metal detecting partner. Minto used his share to pay off his mortgage and has reduced his lorry driving schedule to four days a week, with plans to cut back further. A dispute over proceeds arose because the ring was found during a military veterans’ detecting rally, but Minto said, "I’m glad it’s all finished now." He added, "I’m chuffed it’s staying," referring to the ring’s permanent home at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton.

The ring will be featured at an "Ilminster ring discovery day" at the town’s art centre in August and is being taken on a tour of local primary schools. Minto continues to return to the field in hopes of finding more treasures.