Rights Holder: Buckinghamshire County Museum
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FINGER RING
Unique ID: BUC-B90FA2
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A gold finger-ring. The ring is circular in plan (though now distorted) and D-shaped in section. The exterior is plain except for two parallel lines running along the circumference of the ring at the extreme upper and lower edges. The interior is inscribed in italics 'For.this.my.endes.greefes'.
Dimensions:
Width: 3.49 mm, Thickness: 1 mm, Diameter: 15.95 mm
Weight: 1.9 g
Discussion: The message on this ring may be one of mourning, possibly representing an 'endless grief', though the exact meaning is unclear. So-called mourning rings sometimes feature a design of a skull on their exterior and usually refer to a specific deceased person by their initials and date of death (cf. SOM-69A89D recorded on the PAS database, or AF.1546 in the collection of the British Museum). The message on the subject ring is perhaps more likely a 'home-made motto' as discussed by Dame Joan Evans (1931: xxvi-xxvii). The style of writing is typical of the late 17th and early 18th century.
Notes:
The age and precious metal content of this ring appear to meet the criteria for Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996.
Acquired by BCM 04.12.2019
Inscription:
'For.this.my.endes.greefes'
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Buckinghamshire County Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure details
Treasure case tracking number: 2016T236
Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1750
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Width: 3.49 mm
Thickness: 1 mm
Weight: 1.9 g
Diameter: 15.95 mm
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Treasure case number: 2016T236
Materials and construction
Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Buckinghamshire (County)
District: Aylesbury Vale (District)
To be known as: Wing area
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evans, J. | 1931 | English Posies and Posy Rings | London | Oxford University Press | xxvi-xxvii |
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Timeline of associated dates
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