File:2013 T717 finger ring (FindID 586158-459299).jpg

Ref.: 2013 T717

PAS ref.: NARC-3AE845

(Rec. no. 8505)

Surface metal analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated an approximate silver content for the ring of 92%, the rest of the alloy being made up of copper, gold and lead; no zinc was detectable. The ring weighs 3.03 grams.

The ring is formed of a silver wire rod of round section with the ends coiled together in a spiral knot at the front of the hoop to form a circular bezel; the ends are further coiled back three times round one shoulder and four round the other; diameter, 22mm.

Spiral knot rings of this type with wire of round section are recorded from Anglo-Saxon graves of mainly around the mid-6th to 7th century date, e.g. from Thurnham, Chatham Lines, grave IV, and Dover Buckland, grave F, Kent; and Edix Hill, grave 60, Cambridgeshire (Treasure Annual Report 2004, no. 84; MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., 1993, A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals). Ashmolean Museum,Oxford, BAR, British Series no. 230, no. 27.18; V.I. Evison, 1987, Dover: the Buckland Anglo-Saxon Cemetery, Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, Archaeological Report no. 3, London; T. Malim & J. Hines, 1998, The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Edix Hill (Barrington A), Cambridgeshire: excavations 1989-1991 and a summary catalogue of material from 19th century interventions, Council for British Archaeology, York).

The ring ... would therefore qualify as Treasure under two of the stipulated criteria of the Treasure Act: it is more than 300 years old and the precious metal content exceeds 10%.

B.M. Ager

Curator

Department of Prehistory & Europe

British Museum

3 March 2014