yellow gold, the interior engraved in italicised script:
‘Joynd in one by Christ alone’
English, circa 1700.
The inscription and variants of its spelling are recorded in English Posies and Posy Rings, by Dame Joan Evans, (London, 1931 & 2012), pg 64.
Provenance
Discovered by a metal detectorist on cultivated land near Burwash Common in East Sussex in 2021. The ring was declared to H.M’s Coroner as treasure, given treasure case number: 2021T226 and recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme as SUSS-FDE662
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.