Elizabethan gold posy ring "ALL FOR LOVE"

Code: 10878

This is a wonderful Elizabethan gold posy ring, dating to the late 16th - early 17th century. The inside of the band is incribed with "ALL FOR LOVE". The style of lettering (block capitals) gives us a date of late Tudor - early Stuart (the period of Queen Elizabeth I and King James)

The outer band is decorated with a geometric design, possibly once enamelled. This ring was discovered with a metal detector in the Malverns, Stanford with Orleton. Recorded and disclaimed as treasure WAW-4CC20E.

Posy rings were used as love tokens, with the inscription remaining secret to all but the wearer. This inscription is recorded by Dame Joan Evans as appearing on a ring in her father's collection (pg. 17).

The British Museum holds a number of posy rings with geometric decoration on the exterior, with most having a continuous pattern of circles and crosses similar to this example. See for example 1856,0701.2706; 1961, AF.1216; and AF.1313 all dating to the 16th-17th century.

This is an excellent example in very good condition 

OBJECT: Posy Ring

CULTURE:  Elizabethan (Queen Elizabeth Ist period)

DATE: c. 1550 - 1620 A.D.

MATERIAL: Gold

RING SIZE:    5  (US)     J 1/2  (UK)

SIZE: 16.98mm x 2.63mm

WEIGHT:  1.23 grams

PROVENANCE:  Found near Stanford with Orleton, Malverns. Worcestershire WAW-4CC20E