A grandmother discovered a medieval gold cross valued at an estimated £20,000 while metal detecting in a field on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Shelley Couzins, 58, made the find in August after several hours without success, when her metal detector signaled an object buried roughly one foot beneath the surface of a ploughed farmer’s field.

Ms. Couzins, who lives in nearby Lordswood and has been metal detecting for four years, was part of the Medway History Finders group at the time. The cross, weighing 10.6 grams, has been classified as treasure and is currently in the possession of the British Museum for further study.

Experts have identified the artifact as a medieval gold reliquary cross featuring a depiction of Jesus’s crucifixion on one side and an image of Mary holding baby Jesus on the other. Under UK treasure laws, if the museum decides to acquire the piece, it will assign an official value. Any reward would then be divided between Ms. Couzins and the landowner of the field where the cross was found.

The Isle of Sheppey has historical associations with King Henry VIII and the Boleyn family, and Ms. Couzins hopes the cross may be linked to that period. She described the discovery as “a metal detectorist’s dream,” noting that such finds are rare and significant.