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Author Topic: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info  (Read 1848 times)

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Jj W

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Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« on: October 06, 2021, 03:15:13 pm »
Accidentally posted this to the "Other metal" subforum.  Sorry for the double post

(I'm pasting this same intro into all my first posts to level set. Thanks for your patience)
-----------------

Hello all,


I'm new here.  Please be kind :)

So I recently found out about auctions for ancient coins and artifacts.  I've mostly just been buying things that feel interesting or give me a good feeling.  I have always loved archeology and history, and also been a minor coin collector since childhood.

I'm not really collecting as an investment, more as a form of time travel.  I just love touching and holding these objects and imagining who may have held it when it was newer.  Having some kind of historical context to these objects is what I am mostly after. 

Also, I am strongly interested in attempting to restore everything to as close to what it looked like when it was new(er).  I don't want to destroy anything, but I also do want to be "aggressive" in the restoration efforts in an attempt to do so.

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So with this ring I'm looking for

1. Any info you all might think about it.
     a. I've done some searching and *seems* like this could have been a Roman legion ring from the Fourth Legion (4 circles)?
     b. What time period are we looking at here?
2. Best advice to attempt to restore it.
     a. Since it is bronze, I would LOVE to get it to shine up like bronze can
     b. I would then like to repair the crack with some bronze patching

Thank you for reading and I really do appreciate your time and look forward to learning more and being part of your community.

All the best,
JJ Walker

Offline Ron C2

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2021, 07:37:13 pm »
I can't comment on whether it is Roman or not, it's not my expertise area.  But I can assure you that if you patch it and polish it up, it will then be worthless to anyone except to you, and all the proof of it being "old" will be removed by the polishing wheel.
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Jj W

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2021, 11:08:47 am »
I can't comment on whether it is Roman or not, it's not my expertise area.  But I can assure you that if you patch it and polish it up, it will then be worthless to anyone except to you, and all the proof of it being "old" will be removed by the polishing wheel.

Thank you Ron.  I'm not really that concerned about the monetary value at this point.  I have seen really incredible photos of other ancient bronze items such as a 4000 year old bronze sword that went from looking like this, to some incredible bronze color.  Still damaged by age, but beautiful.  I assumed this would be able to be done to any object of same metal.  Sounds like this is naive?

Offline nikopolis1

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2021, 02:15:16 pm »
This rings with dots usually are surfacing on late roman sites, but same decoration seems that has been used on some medieval rings as well. To be really sure you have to know what coins are coming out where it has been found.

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2021, 05:08:11 pm »
The form as well as the decoration can often help ID the age.  Unfortunately, this form was used both by the Romans and in the medieval era.  So that doesn't narrow it down.

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Jj W

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2021, 01:26:57 pm »
Quote from: nikopolis1 on October 11, 2021, 02:15:16 pm
This rings with dots usually are surfacing on late roman sites, but same decoration seems that has been used on some medieval rings as well. To be really sure you have to know what coins are coming out where it has been found.

Thank you for that reply!  So the coins that came up with it were from around the year 240-250 (Gordinian III and Philip I).  I bought a few.

What can you tell me about the dots?

Online Joe Sermarini

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2021, 01:31:56 pm »
The dots were probably just a decorative style.  If they had further meaning, I doubt we know it today.
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Offline nikopolis1

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2021, 09:00:59 am »
Nobody really knows about the dots. Probably decorative style. This dots are appearing not only on the rings, but on all kinds of other artefacts-strap ends, fibulas... etc and not just from roman era but from pre-roman era as well. I speak about the Balkans, in other areas of the empire dont know if this dots are appearing. Some say this dots represent protection from"evil eyes"but I have never seen publications on the subject. What I notice - they very often form geometric figures or animals. On your ring they are like cross for example, i have seen triangles, squares, circles

Offline Ron C2

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2021, 02:25:46 pm »
I think it's very likely they were just decoration that someone found pleasing to the eye.
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Offline SC

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2021, 05:34:09 pm »
There is some indication that they originally represented eyes - back on Bronze Age items.  But by the Roman and medieval eras they were just a widely used decoration type.

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Offline Mayadigger

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Re: Ancient Roman ring - Looking for any additional info
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2021, 01:46:59 pm »
Ave!

Pretty sure that this is not a Roman ring but, as previously mentioned, most likely
Medieval in origin.

Cast as one piece, the circle-and-dot pattern was then engraved. As others have noted that was a very simple
and eye-pleasing decoration. Evil eye...? Hmm

"The coins that came up with it were from around the year 240-250 (Gordian III and Philip I).  I bought a few."

JjW - Your timeline conjecture of coins and the ring is certainly moot.  In the very same field, detectorists can discover pretty much anything from the Bronze Age to 20th Century...trust me, I know.  ::)

The only way I know to improve your ring without polishing it is to simply wear it.  8)

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