Having only ever found a silver coin while metal detecting, Idris Thomas was shocked to strike gold – a late Bronze Age gold bracelet which has been declared treasure.
Believed to be about 3,000 years old, the bracelet was found to be 92.8% gold by experts from Museum Wales. Brett Hammond, CEO of Timeline Auctions, estimated its value at between £15,000 and £20,000. An official value has not yet been given.
Thomas was scanning on farmland belonging to Geraint Edwards, in Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd, for about 20 minutes when his detector alerted him.
“I thought it was another bit of tin foil to begin with, and I just saw a flash of gold and dug a little bit around it,” he said.