{"recordID":"244874","finds":[{"created2":"2009 01 23","description":"

Description of object<\/strong>
\nDecorative gold ring with a D-shaped cross section. Externally plain, the inner face is engraved in Gothic textura (black letter) script, though the reading is not clear. Allowing for the first letter as I and the last two as LT, one possibility is a garbled version of 'I VOELT', 'I wish it', where the V has been written as an F (common in Welsh), and the O and E have been elided. Other possibilities are 'I felt', or a scrambled INRI, though this requires the 't' to be interpreted as an unusual cross. 'Iesi' does not appear to fit.<\/p>\n

The hoop has an internal diameter of 17mm; band width 3.2mm. Weight 2.4g.<\/p>\n

Metal Content<\/strong> To judge from its colour and weight, and visual comparison with other gold rings and brooches in the collections of the Department of Archaeology & Numismatics, the item is gold (over 10%). This was confirmed by analysis of the metal composition of the ring by Mary Davis using CamScan MaXim 2040 analytical scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX).<\/p>\n

Average composition of gold:<\/strong> 10% copper 14% silver 76% gold<\/p>\n

Discussion<\/strong> The finger ring from Dinas Powys has a form which is long lived, and were there no inscription, it would probably have been given an 18th<\/sup> - or 19th<\/sup>-century date. For a 15th<\/sup>-century silver ring with comparable D-shaped cross-section, engraved externally, see Dalton 1912, no. 882. The letter forms, three of which are confidently formed, are in a late medieval style. To judge from comparison with lettering on seals, the fine close black letter script dates to the second half of the 14th<\/sup> and 15th<\/sup> centuries (c. 1350-1500; Kingsford 1929). The legend, if correct, may indicate that it is a love or marriage ring, and may be compared with 'me plet' (Dalton 1912, no. 972). However, this is not certain.<\/p>","notes":"

The ring is of 15th-century date. It is my opinion that as an object which has at least 10 per cent by weight precious metal, and which is at least 300 years old, the ring is treasure under Section 1 (1) (a) of the Treasure Act 1996.<\/p>","old_findID":"NMGW-9DEB70","id":"244874","objecttype":"Finger ring","classification":null,"subclass":null,"reuse":null,"created":"2009-01-23 15:16:22","broadperiod":"MEDIEVAL","updated":"2011-07-19 10:38:00","treasureID":"2007W8","secwfstage":"3","secuid":"0014979DF4601221","findofnote":null,"objecttypecert":"1","datefound1":"2007-01-01","datefound2":null,"createdBy":"47","curr_loc":"National Museum of Wales","inscription":null,"reason":null,"subsequentAction":"Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure"}],"record":[{"id":"244874","old_findID":"NMGW-9DEB70","uniqueID":"0014979DF4601221","objecttype":"Finger ring","classification":null,"subclass":null,"length":null,"height":null,"width":"3.2","thickness":null,"diameter":"17","quantity":"1","other_ref":null,"treasureID":"2007W8","broadperiod":"MEDIEVAL","numdate1":"1400","numdate2":"1500","description":"

Description of object<\/strong>
\nDecorative gold ring with a D-shaped cross section. Externally plain, the inner face is engraved in Gothic textura (black letter) script, though the reading is not clear. Allowing for the first letter as I and the last two as LT, one possibility is a garbled version of 'I VOELT', 'I wish it', where the V has been written as an F (common in Welsh), and the O and E have been elided. Other possibilities are 'I felt', or a scrambled INRI, though this requires the 't' to be interpreted as an unusual cross. 'Iesi' does not appear to fit.<\/p>\n

The hoop has an internal diameter of 17mm; band width 3.2mm. Weight 2.4g.<\/p>\n

Metal Content<\/strong> To judge from its colour and weight, and visual comparison with other gold rings and brooches in the collections of the Department of Archaeology & Numismatics, the item is gold (over 10%). This was confirmed by analysis of the metal composition of the ring by Mary Davis using CamScan MaXim 2040 analytical scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX).<\/p>\n

Average composition of gold:<\/strong> 10% copper 14% silver 76% gold<\/p>\n

Discussion<\/strong> The finger ring from Dinas Powys has a form which is long lived, and were there no inscription, it would probably have been given an 18th<\/sup> - or 19th<\/sup>-century date. For a 15th<\/sup>-century silver ring with comparable D-shaped cross-section, engraved externally, see Dalton 1912, no. 882. The letter forms, three of which are confidently formed, are in a late medieval style. To judge from comparison with lettering on seals, the fine close black letter script dates to the second half of the 14th<\/sup> and 15th<\/sup> centuries (c. 1350-1500; Kingsford 1929). The legend, if correct, may indicate that it is a love or marriage ring, and may be compared with 'me plet' (Dalton 1912, no. 972). However, this is not certain.<\/p>","notes":"

The ring is of 15th-century date. It is my opinion that as an object which has at least 10 per cent by weight precious metal, and which is at least 300 years old, the ring is treasure under Section 1 (1) (a) of the Treasure Act 1996.<\/p>","reuse":null,"created":"2009-01-23 15:16:22","updated":"2011-07-19 10:38:00","secwfstage":"3","findofnote":null,"objecttypecert":"1","datefound1":"2007-01-01","datefound2":null,"inscription":null,"disccircum":null,"museumAccession":null,"subsequentAction":"5","objectCertainty":"1","dateFromCertainty":"1","dateToCertainty":"1","dateFoundFromCertainty":null,"dateFoundToCertainty":null,"subPeriodFrom":null,"subPeriodTo":null,"reason":null,"username":"mlodwick","fullname":"Mark Lodwick","institution":"NMGW","usernameUpdate":"vwolfe","fullnameUpdate":"Victoria Wolfe","primaryMaterial":"Gold","secondaryMaterial":null,"decoration":null,"style":null,"manufacture":null,"surfaceTreatment":null,"completeness":null,"preservation":null,"cert":"Certain","periodFrom":"MEDIEVAL","periodTo":null,"culture":null,"discmethod":"Metal detector","finder":null,"identifier":"Mr Mark Lodwick","secondaryIdentifier":null,"recorder":" M Redknap","county":"VALE OF GLAMORGAN","parish":null,"district":"Vale of Glamorgan","easting":null,"northing":null,"gridref":null,"fourFigure":null,"map25k":"ST1372","map10k":"ST17SW","address":null,"postcode":null,"findspotdescription":null,"lat":null,"lon":null,"knownas":"Dinas Powys","source":"From Map","obverse_description":null,"obverse_inscription":null,"reverse_description":null,"reverse_inscription":null,"denomination":null,"degree_of_wear":null,"allen_type":null,"va_type":null,"mack":null,"reeceID":null,"die":null,"wearID":null,"moneyer":null,"revtypeID":null,"categoryID":null,"typeID":null,"tribeID":null,"status":null,"rulerQualifier":null,"denominationQualifier":null,"mintQualifier":null,"dieAxisCertainty":null,"initialMark":null,"reverseMintMark":null,"statusQualifier":null,"tribe":null,"region":null,"area":null,"ruler1":null,"ruler2":null,"period_name":null,"date_range":null,"mint_name":null,"wear":null,"die_axis_name":null,"category":null,"type":null,"emperorID":null,"mintid":null,"reverseType":null,"i":"200216","f":"DH002766_03.jpg","imagedir":"images\/mlodwick\/"}]}