Rights Holder: Oxfordshire County Council
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FINGER RING
Unique ID: BERK-7B2937
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
TREASURE CASE 2018 T150. Description: A complete gold finger ring of post-medieval date. The finger ring is a mourning ring - commemorating the death of a loved one. The band is D-shaped in section and is now distorted in an oval shape. Externally the band has a twisted rope-like effect formed by diagonal indentations across the width of the band, decorated with multiple pellet-like motifs. On the top of the ring, the bezel is formed to depict a human skull, with two oval indentations for eye sockets, a triangular indentation for the nasal cavity and a long, curved indentation accentuated with off-vertical lines to represent the mouth and teeth. There are vertical indentations either side of the skull, possibly representing the side of the head or more likely, ears. Internally there is an inscription commemorating the deceased; in a cursive script it reads: JP Arm ob June 29 1688.
Dimensions: Internal diameter 23.5mm (distorted); external length 26.3mm; thickness 1.3; 3.6 grams.
Discussion: The abbreviation 'Arm', stands for 'Armiger', ie. entitled to bear arms. J P is assumed to be the initials of the deceased, while the date represents the date of death. A number of similar examples have been reported as Treasure and are recorded on the PAS database including: HAMP-AE9377 (2016 T408), NMGW-03238B (2014 T13), NMGW-02B0CE (2013 T24), WILT-6D49E2 (2015 T168) & IOW-8D4F41 (2012 T539).
Notes:
Conclusion: This finger ring is made substantially of gold and is over 300 years old (c. AD 1688) and therefore qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of The Treasure Act 1996.
Class:
Mourning
Inscription:
JP Arm ob June 29 1688
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: MRC
Subsequent action after recording: Submitted for consideration as Treasure
Treasure details
Treasure case tracking number: 2018T150
Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Exactly AD 1688
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 26.3 mm
Width: 13 mm
Thickness: 1.3 mm
Weight: 3.6 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 8th October 2017
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: OXPAS2018.150
Treasure case number: 2018T150
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: West Oxfordshire (District)
Parish or ward: Shilton (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SP2509
Four figure Latitude: 51.77911235
Four figure longitude: -1.63903007
1:25K map: SP2509
1:10K map: SP20NE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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