Jacobean Silver Gilt Posy Ring "MI HART YOU HAVE"

Code: 10334

This is an excavated Jacobean silver posy ring, dating to the early 17th century. the band is inscribed "MI HART YOU HAVE". The style of lettering gives us a date of late Tudor - early Stuart (the period of King James). It is similar in style to other rings recorded as SOM-384BEF, KENT-4FF331, and SOM-914708. 

The size suggests to me that it was originally worn by a man, from experience most silver-gilt versions I have sold tend to be larger, whilst gold examples are smaller and dainty (i.e. for the ladies!).

Being an excavated example, the silver has crystallized in the ground, thus it has a few cracks. Still a nice and rare example of a wedding ring, from the age of William Shakespeare! 

OBJECT: POSY RING

CULTURE:  JACOBEAN (King James Ist period)

DATE: c. 1600 - 1620

MATERIAL: Silver-gilt

RING SIZE:    9 3/4   (US)     T 1/4   (UK)

SIZE: 22mm x 5mm 

WEIGHT:  3.7 grams

PROVENANCE:  Ex-private collection, Hampshire.