My girlfriend went to a car boot sale yesterday near her family home in Caerleon, South Wales. Historically, it was one of the most important Roman sites in the UK (and has a great amphitheatre and other Roman archiological sites of interest).
She picked up this ring for £1 with several other items - thinking it looked old and interesting. She took it to a jeweler to see if it was real gold - he excitedly tested it and said it is 24k gold, weighed 3.81g and appeared Roman (although was not an antiquities specialist). It has been reported to the local archaeological liaison officer for the area who will assess it formally but we're keen to know more as impatient whilst waiting!
Ive done a little digging online (finds.org.uk is awesome) and can't find anything particularly similar. Any budding archaeologists able to say if appears more Roman/Medieval and what the design is (not sure if lightning bolt or arrow)? Not planning on selling - if it's of significant historical importance then will speak to local museum to see if they would want it but would like to learn more.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/RbIhVd9
Thanks!
(Photo from when checked with jeweler: https://iili.io/RRz5I2.jpg )
You're better off listening to the archaeologist than the likes of us. 24k is quite fine, solid gold- and would be pretty soft, therefore, which is also likely why it's so bent. It seems beyond photographic assessment, so battered now that's it's hard to tell what it once was: whether it's old, new, if it was just someone's first crude attempt in 1964 to cast a gold ring. The markings on it might be actual attempts at signs, but could also be only the chisel cuts that provided a ground for setting a stone, now lost.
