A POST-MEDIEVAL silver cufflink found buried in Cheshire has been declared treasure.

The early piece of 18th century jewellery, dating back more than 300 years, was discovered by metal detecting enthusiast Artur Kluczynski.

He was searching in an area in Sproston on October 8, last year, with the permission of landowner Jeremy Barlow.

Assistant Cheshire coroner Peter Sigee confirmed the finding at a treasure trove inquest at Warrington Coroners Court on Wednesday.

The exact location of the discovery cannot be revealed to protect the site.

Heather Beeton, finds liaison officer for Cheshire, and Natalie Sutcliffe, an archeological university student, prepared a detailed report for the hearing.

After completing research, they confirmed the silver cufflink comes from the post-medieval period of the early 18th century and dates from 1702 to 1714.

The jewellery is described as being a circular disc with a down turned rim.

The portrait of a female bust is featured on the front.

The image has been identified as being Queen Anne, who became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1702.

She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1707, when the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a sovereign state until she died in 1714.

Two similar cufflinks have been found with an inscription of her name as ‘Anne’, referring to Queen Anne, the court was told.

The jewellery is damaged.

The loop is broken off and the link to the second part of the cufflink was missing.

There is a significant tear on the left side of the cufflink and dents to the outer rim.

Weighing 0.46 grams, the cufflinks are 12.1 millimetres long, 11.8 millimetres wide and 0.48 millimetres thick.

Assistant Cheshire Coroner Peter Sigee said: “This item is more than 10 per cent precious metal and more than 300 years in age, therefore it is within the definition of the Treasure Act 1996.

“I declare it is treasure.

“A museum has indicated that it does wish to acquire this item.”

Once an item is declared to be treasure, the object becomes the property of the crown and the finder must offer the item to sale to a museum at a price set by a board of antiquities experts knows as the treasure valuation committee.