Gold memento mori mourning ring, dated 1692, English late 17th century.

A high-carat gold memento mori mourning ring, dated 1692.

English, late 17th century.

Ring size U 1/2 UK / 10.25 US / 63 EU.

Weighs 3.7 grams.

The exterior or the ring features an incised skull in a three-quarter view, facing left. The ring features a ‘D’-shaped cross-section with a flat interior, which bears an internal inscription in italic script:

”.Memento : M L : ob,t 23 Apr(il) . (16)92”

Inside the band, a maker’s mark is stamped within a rounded square recess, consisting of a Gothic capital ‘B.’

Discovered in Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset in 2021, the ring is recorded in the Portable Antiquities Scheme database under the unique ID DOR-2485B7.