A metal detectorist found a small gold Bible worth hundreds of thousand of pounds that belonged to medieval royalty.
Buffy Bailey, an NHS nurse from Lancaster, was searching farmland near Sheriff Hutton Castle in North Yorkshire with husband Ian when her detector picked up a strong signal close to a footpath.
The 48-year-old dug five feet down in hopes of finding a sheep’s eartag or an old can pull ring.
Instead, she found a solid-gold Bible that has stunned scholars.
Buffy Bailey was looking for farmland in York with her husband Ian when she received a strong signal near a footpath.
The NHS nurse found a tiny gold Bible which is thought to have belonged to medieval royalty
The small object measures 1.5cm in length and weighs approximately 5g. It is either 22-carat, or 24-carat, and dates back to the 15th Century. It is believed to be a relative to King Richard III.
Experts have linked it to the “Middleham Jewel”, which is a pendant of gold that was discovered 40 miles away from Middleham Castle. This is Richard III’s childhood home.
It sold in 1992 for £2.5million.
Experts believe that both items were engraved by the exact same blacksmith and gifted to the identical owner – a female relative to the King who was about giving birth.
It looks a lot like the Middleham Jewel but has engravings depicting medieval patron saints of childbirth including St Margaret of Antioch.
It is believed that the gold books were found near Sheriff Hutton Castle. This property belonged to Richard III, who often lived there.
Mrs Bailey stated that she and her husband travel all over the country metal detecting. We knew York had a lot to offer and decided to visit it.
“We arrived at farm and the landowner asked whether we wanted to go straight away. We said yes.
“Metal detecting is not a social hobby. People will often try to get into conversation by asking, “Have you found anything good?”
The gold book is understood to have been found near Sheriff Hutton Castle in North Yorkshire
The object measures 1.5cm in length and weighs 5g. It is believed to belong to King Richard III’s relative.
It is similar to the Middleham Jewel and features engravings of medieval patron saints for childbirth, including St Margaret from Antioch.
“I wanted to concentrate on detecting so I turned to the footpath so that walkers wouldn’t talk to me, and just like I did I received a signal at that exact spot.
“I dug down five inches to find it – but I didn’t believe it was special. It was either an old sheep’s ear tags or a pull ring, so I assumed it was a pull ring.
“But when I took off the clay, I realized it was something quite different. It was a charm that I had bought from a gift store, which was my first thought.
“I took a picture and enlarged it on my smartphone. That’s when I realized it was gold.
“It was so heavy, shiny, and beautiful. It threw rainbows at your face when you held it up to the light.
“I couldn’t believe it. I called my husband from another field and asked him if he could come to me, because I couldn’t move.
“I told him that I needed to sit down,” but he replied, “I need to continue looking!” He left me standing there for an additional hour.
Mrs Bailey has shown the book to Richard III Society since then, and it is currently being analyzed by the Yorkshire Museum.
Bailey, 59, stated that the museum had called the book ‘internationally significant’ and that experts around the globe are eager to read it.
Mrs Bailey said, “They told us that the engravings were St Leonard and St Margaret, who were both patron saints for child birth.”
“In the 1400s, 40-60% of women die in childbirth. Therefore, the owner may have prayed to this object for protection. It could have been part of a birthing gown or a Bible book mark.
It’s impossible to find anything like it anywhere in the world. It could be worth £100,000 or more.’
Julian Evan Hart, an expert on rare treasures and editor of Treasure Hunting magazine described it as a ‘exceptionally unusual’ historical artifact.
He stated that the book was dated between 1280-1410, when sumptuary laws made it illegal for anyone but the nobility to have gold.
It would have been an item that was owned by someone extremely notable, such as a member or royalty.
“The artwork bears a striking iconographic resemblance and has a similarity to the Middleham Jewel. There is every chance that it was created by one artist.”
The Middleham Jewel, a pendant of gold with a 10 Carat Blue Sapphire stone, was symbolic of the Virgin Mary. It was engraved with a depiction on the Nativity as well as the faces of 15 Saints.
Mrs Bailey has shown the book to Richard III Society since then, and it is currently being inspected by the Yorkshire Museum
It is believed that it belonged to Anne Neville (Richard III’s wife), Cecily Neville (his mother) or Anne Beauchamp (his sister-in law).
Matt Lewis, a specialist from the Richard III Society, has seen the book.
He stated that the Middleham Jewel is very similar in quality and the style of the engravings are almost identical.
It is dated the same as the jewel, and it was found near another property that belonged Richard III’s.
It is possible that it is another piece they have commissioned and made by the same blacksmith.
‘It is too valuable an object to have just been lost, so its owner might have buried it for future use at the Reformation when religious depictions were outlawed.
York Museum will now determine the historical provenance of the book before it is sold to its finders. This is based on an auctioneer’s valuation.
The proceeds would be divided equally between Mrs Bailey and the owner who owned the land on which they found the book.