A 1700-year-old glass vase bought at a car boot sale for £3 has been put up for exhibition at a museum.

David Van Boyd, a keen metal detector and amateur archeologist, knew it was Roman as soon as he saw it.

"I have been interested in archeology for years, and I really do get a bit of a buzz when I find things," he said. At the time, he had it valued by autioneers at Sotherby's at between £200 and £300.

Mr Van Boyd, 64, of Hawthorn Avenue, Higher Walton, has had it sat on his mantle piece for eight years, but now he is lending it to Ribchester Roman Museum, near Preston, so that members of the public can enjoy it too.

Mr Van Boyd, a retired engineer, has had his treasure authenticated by county council archeologist Ben Edwards who confirmed it was probably from the third century. "When I took the glass to Ben he had a good look at it, held it up to the light and said it was definitely Roman and the work of a very skilled glass-blower," said the father-of-three and grandfather-of eight.

Mr Edwards had a theory of how it remained intact for such an astonishing length of time.

It is likely they were used to hold precious oils or ointments in a Roman tomb, and had been hidden away. Mr Edward's theory was that the artefact had been taken away from a burial site and brought over to Britain during Victorian times, and eventually ended up in a car boot sale.

Glass was common during the time of the Roman empire, but did not come back into widespread use until the 19th century.

The glass is on display until June 5 with two other vessels he found at antiques fairs.