Posie rings are finger rings with short inscriptions on their outer surfaces. More rarely the inscription is on the inner surface.

A posey ring or love ring, is a simple gold band engraved with a brief
sentiment or poem on the outside. They were used as a lover's token, a
wedding ring, or simply as a means of showing regard or giving a gift.

Popular during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in England and France as lovers' gifts, the Ashmolean Museum

Ashmolean Museum

The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...

 in Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 has an outstanding collection. The Victoria and Albert museum

Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...

in London also has a good collection bequeathed by Joan Evans, daughter of a famous 19th century collector. She compiled a list of more than 3000 posies for her book 'English Posies and Posy Rings' (oxford Press 1931, out of print)

The language used in many early posy rings was Norman French, with French, Latin and English used in later times. The posies were originally written on the outside, moving to the hidden inside of the ring in later (mid 16th Century onwards) times.

External links

• Posey rings in the Ashmolean: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartyeates/54893120/
• Posy ring messages Wartski, London: http://www.wartski.com/Posy%20ring%20messages.htm