Rights Holder: Isle of Wight Council
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FINGER RING
Unique ID: IOW-C55272
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
A complete Medieval to post-Medieval cast copper-alloy signet finger-ring of the late 15th century or16th century (c. 1450-c. 1600).
The bezel of the ring is oval (13.9mm x 19.8mm) and is integral to the hoop of the ring. It is decorated with a grooved line around the edge of the bezel, within which is deeply engraved the letter W. The W is the right way up when the ring is held with the hoop set vertically. The space above the W is filled with an engraved sprig or branch, and there is another smaller branch to either side of the letter. The shoulders and hoop are flat on the outside and slightly convex on the inside.
The ring has a well developed dark brown patina, although it is severely pitted and decayed in some areas due to bronze disease. Maximum diameter: 26.9mm; width of bezel: 9.8mm. The thickness of the bezel is 3.7mm and the minimum thickness of the hoop, at its base, is 2.3mm. Weight: 6.93g.
Several examples of this type of signet ring, with various letters (including W) on the bezel, are in Salisbury Museum. They have been published by J. Cherry in P. Saunders (ed) 1991, Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum Medieval Catalogue Part I, pp. 40, 42-3, fig. 12, nos. 17-24. Cherry dates the most similar of these rings (nos. 17-19, nos. 23-24) to the 15th century.
Class:
Signet
Inscription:
W
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1400
Date to: Circa AD 1500
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Width: 9.8 mm
Thickness: 3.7 mm
Weight: 6.93 g
Diameter: 26.9 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 12th May 2010
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: IOW2010-1-276
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
District: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Isle of Wight
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saunders, P. | 1991 | Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Medieval Catalogue: Part 1 | Salisbury | Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum |
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