2009-01-23 15:16:22 Mark Lodwick mlodwick 2011-07-19 10:38:00 Victoria Wolfe vwolfe NMGW-9DEB70 Finger ring Description of object Decorative 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. The hoop has an internal diameter of 17mm; band width 3.2mm. Weight 2.4g. Metal Content 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). Average composition of gold: 10% copper 14% silver 76% gold Discussion 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 - or 19th-century date. For a 15th-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 and 15th 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. Description of object Decorative 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 VO... 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. Gold MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL 1400 1500 3.2 17 2009-01-23 15:16:22 VALE OF GLAMORGAN Vale of Glamorgan POINT( ) From Map ST17SW ST1372 29.06.2003 Metal detector 1 NMGW Creative Commons Non Commercial Share Alike - The Portable Antiquities Scheme 2009 These records can be reproduced in a non commercial enviroment as long as the original recorder is cited. The Portable Antiquities Scheme info@finds.org.uk No fees are applicable.