File:Roman Finger Ring (FindID 488242).jpg

English: Treasure Item 2012 T107: Complete silver Roman finger ring, Henig Type XI, dating to the 2nd - 3rd century AD. The ring is roughly D-shaped with a broad flat bezel and sub-circular hoop. The bezel, which is sub-rectangular in shape, has bevelled shoulders carrying impressed semi-circular detailing outlined with an incised line. This semi-circular detailing flanks either end of the rectangular bezel and below this the shoulders taper to form the narrowed hoop of the ring. Both the shoulders and hoop, which are undecorated, are plano-convex in section. The bezel is inscribed with the lettering DMT and both above and below this lettering there is worn incised hatching in the form of two transverse lines with vertical lines between, reminiscent of ladders. The ring is notably worn and polished through wear. There are some slight copper alloy patches on the base of the hoop which probably represents post-depositional leaching.

The exact meaning of the letters 'DMT' is not certain. Finger rings in Britain often include dedications to deities. It is probable that the lettering is an abbreviation of D(eo) M(arti) T(outati). This interpretation, including the local deity Toutatis, who is often conflated with Mars, has been suggested due to a number of known Roman finger rings, specifically in this regional area, and peculiar to Roman Britain, which carry dedications to Toutatis. Compare to an inscribed silver ring, from the 1938 excavation of the vallum crossing south of the fort at Benwell (RIB II, 3: 2422.22), where three alternative expansions of the unpunctuated DMT are given. Typically, however, such rings carry the inscription TOT (Adam Daubney, pers. comm.). Compare to similar examples on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database: eg. LIN-D212A5, LIN-3D76C2

Dimensions: Thickness: 1.62 mm (bezel), 1.46mm (base of hoop) Width: 11.56mm (bezel), 5.01mm (base of hoop) Length: 25.08mm (shoulder to shoulder), 15.54mm (bezel) Height: 20.69mm (bezel to base of hoop) Weight: 7.9g

As the object is more than 10% precious metal and more than 300 years old, it fulfils the requirements of the 1996 Treasure Act.