Man discovers long-lost seal of Pharaoh Ramses II on sale for $19 at online shop

The cartouche in question
(Image credit: Twitter/Ancient Origins)

Talk about a good deal.

James Balme, an English archaeologist, stumbled upon a "garden stone" for sale on a charity website for about $19. But the stone is likely not a garden stone at all — Balme believes it is a 3,000-year-old personal seal, or cartouche, of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1213 B.C.E., Ancient Origins notes.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.