Posy ring

A gold posy ring of D-shaped section inscribed in unconnected cursive 'Christ & thee my comfort be' with the maker's initials TC? in cursive capitals in an elliptical punch. The maker is unidentified. The ring is distorted and worn.
Posies (simple rhymes) or mottoes were applied to rings from the early medieval to nineteenth centuries. They were often exchanged as love tokens but could also affirm religious devotion or social allegiance. Many of the posies, commonly inscribed inside the hoop, conveyed a wealth of meaning that required sophisticated decoding and understanding. The posy 'Christ & thee my comfort be' echoes the Hallowing prayer 'Hallow thou O Lord this ring which we bless in thy name that what woman soever shall wear it may stand fast in Thy love and be multiplied into that length of days through Jesus Christ'.