WHEN the girlfriend of a soldier serving in Afghanistan asked him to bring her back a penny, she ended up with far more than she bargained for - after he carved a coin into a beautiful wedding ring.
Jolene Riley was gobsmacked when her fiance carved her a wedding ring out of a penny [MERCURY]Bombardier Ben McDowell surprised Jolene Riley with the one-of-a-kind ring, after proposing to his girlfriend of 10 months on a two-week visit home last month.
The 24-year-old did not want his fiancee wearing any old wedding band when the big day came.
Jolene explained: "Before Ben left for his nine month tour of Afghanistan, he asked me what I wanted for Christmas.
"I don't like him spending money on me, so I thought of the cheapest thing I could think of and asked for a penny from Afghanistan as a sentimental gift.
"That's the only thing I have ever asked for from him, but obviously his mind went into overdrive and he thought up this amazing surprise.
"He isn't usually the romantic type so everyone has been completely shocked by what he has done."
Jolene, from Sutton-in-Craven, North Yorkshire, fell for Ben after the pair met online in June last year.
The 19-year-old was shocked when he proposed last month on his trip home from his tour of duty.
It would be difficult to guess this ring's humble beginnings [MERCURY]
Ben carved the ring himself while on a tour of Afghanistan [MERCURY]It is just so amazing, and it means so much more to me knowing how much thought he has put into it
She said: "He proposed as soon as we got back to his house when he got home from Afghanistan.
"We had been stuck in the car for hours, and it was 1.15am by the time we got home.
"I wasn't expecting it at all, but he was so nervous - his whole body was shaking."
Jolene revealed that she actually proposed to Ben, but that he insisted he wanted everything to be perfect.
She said: "It was undoubtedly love at first sight from the very first time I met Ben.
"I even proposed to him while he was away in Afghanistan but he said it wasn't a proper proposal, and he wanted to do everything right.
"So I was gobsmacked when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him."
Devoted Ben spent three months painstakingly carving the ring for Jolene while he was serving in Afghanistan.
He then sent the ring to UK-based jewellers Serendipity Diamonds so it could be gold-plated.
The ring as a work in progress at Ben's Army base [MERCURY]But this was not the first time he had made such a romantic gesture – the serviceman also designed Jolene's white gold engagement ring while he was on tour.
Jolene said: "It is just so amazing, and it means so much more to me knowing how much thought he has put into it.
"It is something unique that I can treasure for ever.
"You don't often hear stories like this - and now it is a story I can tell people for the rest of my life."
A spokesperson from Serendipity Diamonds, based in Portsmouth, said: "Our part in this involved just a little help adjusting the ring to the correct finger size.
"And we also applied the final polish to complete the ring.
"It was quite remarkable, and what a story to connect to a wedding ring."
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