NHER 67511 (Find Spot record) - Iron Age gold alloy torc, Diss area (Diss, poorly located)

1942. Stray Find.
Found "somewhere near Diss, Norfolk", probably in 1942:
Late Iron Age gold alloy torc. The neckring comprises two wires of circular cross-section twisted together and its two simple terminals are each made up of two turns of wire. It dates to c.150-50 BC.
The finder, who is now deceased, had placed it in a bank vault, where it remained until a subsequent owner took it to be valued, at which point it's potentially ancient nature was recognised.
The torc was submitted for consideration as Treasure (Treasure Ref: 2010 T194) but found not to qualify. Although it would have qualified as Treasure under the 1996 Treasure Act, its date of discovery meant that it was the older Treasure Trove law that was applicable - under which objects are only considered Treasure if buried with the intention of retrieval. The torc was most likely buried as a deliberate, votive deposit or offering.
Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of the torc indicates that its composition is 81-85% gold and 14-16% silver, with the remainder copper.
Information from report compiled by J. Joy (British Museum). See also report in file on British Museum XRF analysis.

Although it had been hoped that either the British Museum or the Norwich Castle Museum would be able to acquire the torc, it was sold at auction on 30 October 2010 (to an anonymous bidder).
See newspaper articles (S1) and (S2) for further details (both of which state the torc was found following ploughing).
P. Watkins (HES), 31 May 2020.