FINGER RING

A gold Post-Medieval posy ring. The ring is circular in plan but has been squashed to an irregular shape, probaly post depositionally. The hoop has a flat rectangular cross section. The exterior of the hoop has been decorated with a floral motif. There is a lower-case inscription on the inside of the hoop which reads 'In thy Sight is my delight'. This inscription is followed by a maker's mark 'I C' within what appears to be a shaped rectangular shield. This maker's mark is followed by a marriage triagram of upper-case letters 'A S M'? (added later by a different hand); 

Dimensions:

Length: 24.25 mm

Width: 17.57 mm

Thickness: 1.15 mm

Weight: 3.57 g

Discussion: A posy ring with the inscription 'In thy Sight is my delight' can be seen in The British Museum's collection (AF. 1301). The style of the text on the British Museum's example is very similar to this finger-ring and has been dated to the 17^th to 18^th century. An IC maker's mark within a plain oblong shield can be seen on another ring in The British Museum's collection (1961, 1202. 340). The record for this posy ring mentions that Anthony Dove believes the mark may be that of John Cragg of London, (see Arthur G. Grimwade 'London Goldsmiths 1697 - 1837', London, 1990, pg 477), entered as a smallworker on October 1730.

Conclusion: As it is not possible to date this finger-ring to pre-1715 it does not constitute Treasure as defined by the Treasure Act 1996.