Rights Holder: Surrey County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SUR-B6BBFA
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A gold posy ring with internal diameter of 18mm. The hoop is undecorated and is 3.5mm wide with a plano-convex cross sectional profile. The inside surface is flat and inscribed with the legend Let vertue be thy guide. There is a maker's mark of IW in gothic letters within a trapezoidal shield. The hoop is slightly bent out of shape. Circa mid 18th century.
Notes:
cf. ring BM Af.1321 "Let virtue bee a guide to thee" - Dalton 1912, no. 1240 and Evans 1931, p. 68. See also IOW-43E3F4 for another example on the database with a similar maker's mark.
On the stylistic basis of the use of gothic script in the maker's mark this ring has been dated by British Museum curator Rachel King at circa 1720-1750. It therefore falls outside of the scope of the Treasure Act 1996.
Sub class: posy
Inscription:
Let vertue be thy guide
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder after being declared not Treasure
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1720
Date to: Circa AD 1750
Quantity: 1
Width: 3.5 mm
Thickness: 0.7 mm
Weight: 2.94 g
Diameter: 21.1 mm
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4 Figure: SU9404
Four figure Latitude: 50.82791626
Four figure longitude: -0.66670248
1:25K map: SU9404
1:10K map: SU90SW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.