FINGER RING

A complete copper alloy finger ring, with seal matrix bezel, of medieval or perhaps early post - medieval period, dating from c. AD1300 - 1700, probably from AD 1400 - 1550. The bezel is broadly eight sided in plan (octagonal), and rectangular in section. The seal itself is oval with the letter 'R' surmounted by a crown.

The letter R is surrounded by a leafy branch or sprig on each side.

The ring is 27.41mm in diameter, the hoop 3.27mm in thickness, 4.39mm in width. The bezel is 12.01mm x 15.23mm and 4.31mm thick. It has a dark grey patina.

Apparently similar rings are recorded at NMS - 47261E, NMS - DD7C49 and NMS - 304CB2 again with the R described as surmounted by a crown. No photographs are available but see SOM-0169B4. This might suggest the ring was worn by representatives of a group or organisation rather than it relating to an individual whose name started with R. However, Harvey and McGuinness 1996 A Guide to British Medieval Seals p93, describe rings with these seal matrices, with a variety of initials, becoming increasingly popular and common in and after the fifteenth century and there are numbers of these on this site also. It does not seem likely that the letter is the initial of a monarch, however, as has been suggested elsewhere, since at least one example is the letter V (SWYOR-5B2226) and another, the letter P ( a silver example from Surrey). It has been suggested that these rings with single initials were bought ready made and used for simple seals, eg on letters.

There is some evidence (Harvey and McGuinness p93 fig88) that such seals were used by people whose names did not match the initial at all. The letter perhaps had some other significance, relating to a place, or date (such as in a hall mark on silver). An informal survey of 37 examples (mainly finger rings but a few seal matrices of the 'pawn' type also) showed 28 had the initial I (probably J), W or R (therefore probably at least originally made for people with the most common first names of the period, ie John, James, William, Richard) and the vast majority have been recorded in eastern counties, especially Norfolk, Suffolk and Yorkshire.

But see LIN-54AAAD for a further interpretation of what these seals were (ie alnager's seals, reference John Cherry) and, to support this, see BUC - C91E47 which is a record of a seal matrix with letter R, crown and leafy branches and bordered by an inscription between two lines which reads *SVBSIDEVM: PANNORVM (Subsidy [i.e. tax] of cloths). A limited search of the site in an attempt to find a seal impression (for cloth or otherwise) has NOT yet revealed any with the imprint of this design. However, the example fig88 mentioned above is an example of an actual seal, rather than matrix.