Rights Holder: Museum of Antiquities of the University and Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
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Unique ID: NCL-FEC824
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A gold finger ring of Viking Age date, c. 875-950.
The ring consists of a triple coil of thick, lozenge-section wire and the front and sides are decorated all along the ridge with punched back-to-back crescents, and small triangles at the tapering ends. The ends are drawn into thin wires wound vertically round the coil in eight turns at the back of the hoop. One of the ends appears to have been broken while in the ground and minor re-alignment of the windings was undertaken by the finder after the ring had been through the Treasure process for the first time.
Surface metal analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated an approximate gold content for the ring of 95-98%, a silver content of 1-2%, the remainder being copper.
The form of the ring is closely comparable with two Viking examples also of gold in the collection of the British Museum, with only two coils each and four to four-and-a-half turns at the back, from Saddleworth Moor (Greater Manchester) and Ireland (registration nos. MME 1915,12-6,1 and 1849,3-1,27 respectively). The form is further paralleled by a distinctive type of coiled silver armring made in Ireland in the late 9th/early 10th centuries and developed from a simpler Viking type (J. Sheehan, 1991-2, 'Coiled arm-rings - an Hiberno-Viking silver armring type', Journal of Irish Archaeology, 6, pp. 41-53; the description of the Saddleworth ring as silver in the caption to pl. 6 is incorrect. Thanks are due to Prof. J. Graham-Campbell for this reference).
Notes:
It is the second time that this ring has been submitted as potential Treasure, since the first time, in January 2007, it was not seen by a Viking specialist and was disclaimed in error. But the finder was aware that it was probably Viking, as subsequently confirmed by an expert he showed it to, and, although not legally bound to do so, agreed to re-submit it for a fresh report.
Current location of find: British Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2007T19
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Viking style
Date from: Circa AD 875
Date to: Circa AD 950
Quantity: 1
Height: 8 mm
Weight: 12.35 g
Diameter: 22 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 14th January 2007
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Treasure case number: 2007T19
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.