Coins and Historical Medals

Bronze Age, Penannular Torc ring, first millennium BC, so-called ‘Ring-Money’, twisted solid gold band with plain pointed terminals, 18-21mm, 4.26g (van Arsdell 1-1; Taylor pl. 33b; Eogan fig. 24, A2 and pl. 4; Hawkes pl. 1, 5). Lovely workmanship, extremely fine with antique toning and original shape, very rare £1,500-2,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Chris Rudd Collection of Bronze Age and Roman Coins.

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Collection

Provenance: Found in Sussex c. 1990; Arundel Collection; Shamrock Collection; C. Hamlyn Collection.

Penannular gold rings like this lot and the next two ‘were probably fashioned primarily as jewellery’ (Ancient British Coins, C. Rudd, 2010, p.202). He still believes this to be true but also thinks that they were a convenient form of portable wealth and that some could sometimes have been exchanged for goods or services or divine favours; in other words, used like money. As such, he feels that these rings may legitimately be classed as numismatic collectables. But be aware also that the Treasure Act 1996 regards them as artefacts – and correctly so