A RARE 17th century silver-gilt badge discovered near York by a metal detector enthusiast has gone on show at the Yorkshire Museum in York.

The piece of jewellery was unearthed in a field near York by Marjorie Dandy, of Thornton-le-Clay, and after an inquest was declared treasure by the York coroner.

The Royalist badge, which depicts a portrait of Charles I, was then bought by the Yorkshire Museum.

Craig Barclay, Keeper of Numismatics, said: "We are delighted to have acquired this rare find for the museum, especially considering the close association Charles I had with the city.

"We are very grateful to Mrs Dandy, without whom the badge would never have been unearthed and see this as a testament to the ongoing co-operation between metal detectorists and the museum."

The badge dates from just after 1649, the year Charles I was executed by Parliament, and this year sees the 350th anniversary of his death.

Curators at the Yorkshire Museum believe the badge may have belonged to a woman who would have worn it in secret to support the Royalist cause after Charles's death.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.