Medieval seal with Roman stone is a 'special find'

1 January 2026

Katy Prickett

News image — The finely-carved Roman gemstone shows a charioteer standing on a racing chariot, with whip in hand, urging on two high-stepping horses

Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service A close-up of an oval silver seal matrix, with a hanging loop on the left side. It is resting on its side, to show the carving of two horses, with upraised legs and a charioteer leaning over them from his chariot with a whip on the oval red gemstone intaglio in the centre. Its thick silver rim is carved with letters. — The finely-carved Roman gemstone shows a charioteer standing on a racing chariot, with whip in hand, urging on two high-stepping horses

A metal detectorist has discovered a "really special" medieval seal matrix, with a Roman carved gemstone at its centre.

The discovery was made at Gosfield, just north of Braintree, Essex, in September last year and has been declared treasure by a coroner.

"It's not common to have an object composed from two different time periods," said the county's finds liaison officer Lori Rogerson.

The oval-shaped carnelian was engraved with a two-horse team behind a charioteer, while the thick silver surrounding was inscribed "Richard's secret".

"I thought it was a really special find," said Miss Rogerson of the object, which she dated to between 1200 to 1400.

The inscription - which reads +SECRETVM . RICARDI - shows the seal was created specifically for a man called Richard.

He would have used it to make a mark in hot wax to seal his letters and documents.

Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service Three views of an oval silver seal matrix, with a hanging loop on its top side. The first view shows the front with a thick silver rim, carved with letters and a cross at the top under the loop, while in the middle is an oval carved gemstone intaglio, showing a charioteer and two horses. The central view is of its side view, showing its thick silver rim, narrowing to a flat base. The left view is over the back, with the hanging loop at the top, with its sides narrowing to a flat base. — Altogether, it measures 27.5mm long by 20.1mm wide (1in by 0.8in) and its inscription reveals it was made for - and lost - by a man called Richard

Richard appears to have specifically chosen the carved gemstone, known as an intaglio - possibly as a way of showing he had an understanding of the Classical world, according to Miss Rogerson.

She said: "It definitely would have been an indicator of the owner's social status as a way of saying, 'I have the means of obtaining something from a far gone time and place' and indicated they were quite important - or saw themselves as quite important."

The beautifully carved gemstone probably dated to the late 1st Century BC or early 1st Century AD.

The best quality intaglios were imported from Italy during the 11th and 13th centuries, while poorer quality ones were more likely to have been unearthed by medieval ploughmen, working the land in Britain.

A coroner at a treasure inquest decides whether a discovery is treasure, and whether a museum should have first refusal over it.

In this case, Braintree Museum is hoping to acquire it.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.