Rings with a Death Head

The form of a death head on a ring, worn in England, a token of mourning

Rings, with a death's head upon them, were worn by improper characters in the time of Elizabeth of England. This kind of ring is referred to in Beaumont and Fletcher:

"--I'll keep it,

As they keep death's head in rings:

To cry memento to me."

Although we meet with nothing to show the motive for wearing such rings by the characters referred to, we are inclined to fancy the desire was to carry the semblance of a widow and to let the ring have the character of a mourning token. Lord Onslow, who lived in the time of Elizabeth, bequeathed "a ring of gold with a death's head" to friends.


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