Object Description
Stuart gold posy ring ‘Vertue passeth riches’. A smoothly conforming shallow D-shape band, engraved to the interior in florid italic script ‘* Vertue passeth riches x’, approximately 4.6mm in width. Tested yellow gold, approximately 3.6 grams in weight, circa 17th century.
Accompanied by documentation from the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the British Museum stating that this ring was found while metal detecting on 7th September 2014 in Bilbrough, Selby, North Yorkshire. This ring is recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme under reference SWYOR18E230 and disclaimed as Treasure under the Treasure Act, reference 2014T646.
Further examples of this posy with various spellings are recorded- see Evans, J., ‘English Posies and Posy Rings’, 1931, p105; also see British Museum object numbers 1961,1202.366 and 1961,1202.368.