Mystery cross
(Puzzle 028)
Stumped!
(Click photo to enlarge)
An old ring (photo on the right) was unearthed in France, at a farm just outside Melun, about 50 km SE of central Paris. The ring is most likely cast in pewter and the size is 8 - 9 (US measurement).
The symbol is no longer a mystery, having been identified as a Liberation Cross.
(Click photo to enlarge)
Even so, there's an extra bit to this ring (literally) that is stumping us.
On the band of the ring, about 60° from the shield, is a ridge. When the ring is worn, this ridge catches the adjacent finger, so the reason for its existence is obscure. (If the orientation was 90° from the shield, it might possibly be a bridge to the complementary part of a double finger ring.) The ridge has a hollow centre and seems complete on one end but broken on the other. Quite possibly something was attached to it. But what?
One explanation is that such ridges had the practical effect of allowing the wearer to hold it in place with another finger. Soldier's rings like this, especially in World War I, had such ridges for that purpose.
If you have additional idea, feel free to email us with your thoughts.