Gold black-letter posy ring de bon cuer, 15th century

A rare gold black-letter posy ring inscribed ‘de bon cuer’.

English or French, 15th century.

Ring size: UK L 1/2 / US 6 / EU 52.

Weight: 2 grams.

This finely crafted medieval gold posy ring features a slightly concave hoop and is engraved in Gothic black-letter script with the French inscription ‘de bon cuer’, meaning “of good heart.” The words are punctuated by delicate engraved floral motifs on the band, enhancing its decorative and symbolic appeal.

French was the language of courtly and aristocratic life in England from the Norman Conquest through the late Middle Ages, and its use here suggests the ring’s original owner belonged to the upper echelons of society. Such inscriptions were typical of posy rings intended as love tokens or betrothal gifts, often expressing affection, fidelity, or romantic sentiment in the refined and courtly idiom of the time.

For a similar posy ring with the same inscription see the Portable Antiquities Database, Unique ID: NARC-394C24.

A further example which bears a different inscription but of very similar design can be found in the collection of the Ashmoleon Museum, Oxford, Accession no: AN1940.226.