In almost 5 years of detecting, I’ve only ever found 7 complete rings. If I were to detect parks & beaches then my chances of finding rings would most likely increase, but I should imagine that the majority would be modern pieces lost by holidaymakers...

..and if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that I’m all about the history of an item rather than the type of metal that it’s made from or what it is. I much prefer to detect in fields & farmland, & I’d much rather find an old base metal artefact than a modern gold ring

..the two gold rings that I have been fortunate enough to find are both Victorian. The thin wedding band is 22ct gold & the second one is 9 ct gold. The silver buckle ring is also estimated to be Victorian, though no hallmarks are visible so it could possibly be later in date..

...the three copper rings are also thought to be Victorian in age. Most of the rings appear to have been made for children or women as when I put them on my finger, I’m unable to get them even halfway down...

but the ring that I want to talk about today is the last of the 7 rings. This ring is the most modern of them all. In fact, it’s a mere 76 years old. In a hobby where most people consider anything made in the 20th century to be ‘new’, why could this particular ring be so special?

..on the 5th October 2017 I was detecting in my friends field in Staffordshire when I unearthed this ring. It was quite bulky, strange in shape & I couldn’t fathom exactly what metal it was made from, but I could see some writing on the front of it & it appeared to say ‘ANZIO’...

..while I was still out in the field, my Twitter friends began to feed me information about Anzio & what this ring could be. The ring is in fact an example of what’s known as ‘trench art’...

...Trench art is defined as ‘a decorative item made by soldiers, POW’s or civilians where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences’. It was meant to offer an insight into how the soldier felt about war & their surroundings, using materials to hand

..Trench art isn’t just limited to WWI as the name suggests, although it did flourish during this period. It spans conflicts from the Napoleonic wars up until the present day. It also describes souvenirs made by service personnel during WWII, which is when this ring was made..

..the Battle of Anzio lasted from January 22nd 1944, up until June 5th 1944 & culminated with the capture of Rome by allied forces. The battle was mostly fought by American troops which got me wondering how it came to rest in the middle of a field in Staffordshire...

..after doing a little research however, I discovered that the local army barracks had been used by the US army during WWII as a replacement depot. It was used to temporarily house reserves & replacements, including injured soldiers returning to frontline action..

..the barracks in question is a matter of miles from the field that I discovered the ring in & I often wonder how it came to be where I found it. Was it lost by an American troop injured at Anzio, who was moved to the barracks after recovering? I guess we’ll never know..

..that’s how I often imagine it. Maybe he met a local girl & they stole an opportunity to picnic in the field before he was shipped out again. Maybe that’s how it came to rest in the field. Maybe...

..However, the thought of an American WWII soldier sitting and carving this ring out of a piece of metal lying around gives me goosebumps & it serves as a stark reminder that a metal detecting find doesn’t have to be precious metal or ancient in age to evoke the imagination..

..it doesn’t need to be worth hundreds of pounds, it doesn’t have to be in pristine condition & it doesn’t have to be rarer than hens teeth for it to be truly treasured by a person. Because I really do treasure this ring. Believe me...

..and I doubt very much that the soldier who took the time to make this ring during the Battle of Anzio, could’ve had any idea at the time that one day this ring would be appreciated so dearly 76 years later by a 40 year old detectorist from Birmingham ...

..I really hope that whoever he was, he survived the war & led a full & happy life. Maybe with his sweetheart. The beau who he picnicked with in a field in Staffordshire one sunny afternoon in 1944. Just maybe