St. George ring (Image: Portable Antiquities Scheme)
Not so long ago, in Norwich, England, a man with a metal detector found a ring that's now officially been declared "treasure." The ring is about 600 years old, which is incredible enough. But it's also a dragon ring—it depicts St. George spearing a dragon.
The ring, experts say, would have been enameled, so this scene was likely originally depicted in bright colors. In medieval England, there was a guild of St. George in Norwich, a group that required its members to pay a weekly subscription fee. The fee covered weekly offerings to England's patron saint, a yearly feast, and some basic health care.
In Britain, "any object containing more than 10% silver and gold and more than 300 years old" can be classified as treasure, the BBC explains. And it actually is worth something: This piece of official treasure is going to be acquired by the Norwich Castle museum, and the finder will receive its market value. Also, how cool is it to be able to say "I found a dragon ring"?
Bonus finds: A huge python, WWII-era bombs...in Mountain View, Calif., a $10 million sculpture, and a cluster of 50-million-year-old volcanoes
Every day, we highlight one newly lost or found object, curiosity or wonder. Discover something unusual or amazing? Tell us about it! Send your finds to sarah.laskow@atlasobscura.com.