Medieval gold ring

A 14th Century gold ring inscribed with “DU BON CUERE” – “of good heart”. This is a common inscription for the period and comes in several variations. These rings are associated with the culture of chivalry, prompting gifts or tokens as expressions of love. These inscribed rings are routinely grouped together with inscribed rings known as “posy” rings. However, strictly speaking the “posy” ring is a later sixteenth-century phenomenon.