A beautifully preserved medieval gold posy ring, dating from the 13th or 14th century, is set to be auctioned later this month. The ring was discovered in March 2024 by metal detectorist Richard Girling in the eastern English village of Merton. It will be offered for sale at Noonans Mayfair on March 26th, and is expected to fetch between £6,000 and £8,000.
Girling, a 63-year-old tree surgeon from Ickburgh, has been metal detecting since he was 16. Recalling the day he found the ring, he said: “The ground was very wet, and I was aching from walking all day around the field that I have visited many times. I got a signal in one patch of the field; the soil was very black, maybe where a pond used to be, so I dug down three inches and found a gold ring. I didn’t do the dance like some people do, but wow, I was very pleased with the ring—it was beautiful.”
The ring is an example of a medieval posy ring, a type of jewellery often inscribed with short love messages. Laura Smith, a jewellery expert at Noonans, explained: “Romance and jewellery have always been closely entwined, and during the medieval period, it became popular to inscribe a short love message or ‘posy’ on a gold ring to be given to a beloved. The intimacy is enhanced by the fact that the message is worn right next to the skin and is really just for the wearer to behold.”
The inscription on this ring, written in a mix of Roman and Lombardic script, reads ‘+IO.VVS.AIM.PAR.FEI,’ which translates from Medieval French as ‘I love you by faith’ or ‘I love you faithfully.’ The British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme report describes the ring as being in excellent condition, noting that it is “unworn, with crisp arrises.”
Photo courtesy Noonans Mayfair
Merton, where the ring was found, has historical ties dating back to the Norman Conquest. Merton Hall was built in 1613 on the site of a house that had been in the possession of the de Grey family since the mid-14th century. Before that, the land belonged to their ancestors in the female line, the Baynards, who received it as a grant from William the Conqueror.
After being declared not to be Treasure under the UK’s Treasure Act, the ring was returned to Girling, who will share the proceeds from its sale with the landowner. The auction at Noonans Mayfair will take place at 12 noon on March 26, offering collectors the chance to acquire a rare and intimate piece of medieval history.
A beautifully preserved medieval gold posy ring, dating from the 13th or 14th century, is set to be auctioned later this month. The ring was discovered in March 2024 by metal detectorist Richard Girling in the eastern English village of Merton. It will be offered for sale at Noonans Mayfair on March 26th, and is expected to fetch between £6,000 and £8,000.
Girling, a 63-year-old tree surgeon from Ickburgh, has been metal detecting since he was 16. Recalling the day he found the ring, he said: “The ground was very wet, and I was aching from walking all day around the field that I have visited many times. I got a signal in one patch of the field; the soil was very black, maybe where a pond used to be, so I dug down three inches and found a gold ring. I didn’t do the dance like some people do, but wow, I was very pleased with the ring—it was beautiful.”
The ring is an example of a medieval posy ring, a type of jewellery often inscribed with short love messages. Laura Smith, a jewellery expert at Noonans, explained: “Romance and jewellery have always been closely entwined, and during the medieval period, it became popular to inscribe a short love message or ‘posy’ on a gold ring to be given to a beloved. The intimacy is enhanced by the fact that the message is worn right next to the skin and is really just for the wearer to behold.”
The inscription on this ring, written in a mix of Roman and Lombardic script, reads ‘+IO.VVS.AIM.PAR.FEI,’ which translates from Medieval French as ‘I love you by faith’ or ‘I love you faithfully.’ The British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme report describes the ring as being in excellent condition, noting that it is “unworn, with crisp arrises.”
Merton, where the ring was found, has historical ties dating back to the Norman Conquest. Merton Hall was built in 1613 on the site of a house that had been in the possession of the de Grey family since the mid-14th century. Before that, the land belonged to their ancestors in the female line, the Baynards, who received it as a grant from William the Conqueror.
After being declared not to be Treasure under the UK’s Treasure Act, the ring was returned to Girling, who will share the proceeds from its sale with the landowner. The auction at Noonans Mayfair will take place at 12 noon on March 26, offering collectors the chance to acquire a rare and intimate piece of medieval history.
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