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A seventeenth century gold posy ring,

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yellow gold the interior engraved:

‘Joyned iu oen by god a loen’,

(to be read ‘joined in one by god alone)

Provenance

This ring was unearthed by a metal detectorist searching on cultivated land nearby to West Huntspill, Somerset on 15h April 2018.

Posy rings derive their name from the word “posy” or “Poesy” – a derivative of poetry meaning short rhyme. The rings were popular from the late medieval period onwards and were used to communicate secret messages of love between the giver and the recipient. The wearing  of words against the skin was believed to increase their poignancy.