Object: Silver Ring

Date: Medieval

Description: A medieval silver finger ring dating from about 1300 AD. It is inscribed with the letters A G L A interspersed with crosses. The letters stand for Atha Gebri Leilan Adonai which is the Latinised version of a Hebrew phrase meaning ‘Thou are mighty forever, O Lord’. These words were considered to be a powerful charm against fever and illness.

Origin: The ring was found at St Ninian’s Bay. As with all finds in Scotland of this type, it became the property of the Crown and was claimed as Treasure Trove. It was allocated to the Museum by the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel.