Smith — Ancient Irish Gold and Silver Ornaments. 743 



with the peculiar indentations, so common on the silver ornaments of 

 Celtica and Scandinavia, and probably produced by hammering with a 

 punch or die. When complete the annlet was probably a penannular 

 shaped article about two and a-half inches in diameter. Similar brace- 

 lets, ornamented with the same design as that on the portion examined 

 are exhibited in the Eoyal Irish Academy Museum ; museum numbers 

 62 and 64, are examples. The part of the bracelet examined was 

 three-sixteenths of an inch thick and five-eighths of an inch in the 

 widest part, but gradually tapered, the original ends being probably 

 about five- sixteenths of an inch wide. It was a little tarnished by 

 superficial sulphide of silver. 



The specific gravity was 10-148. The -percentage composition has 

 been found to be as follows : — 



Silver, per 



cent., 



91-50 



Copper, 



)> 



6-83 



Gold, 



11 



•46 



Lead, 



n 



1-03 



Iron, 



j> 



trace 



99-82 

 Number 2. This consisted of a plain band op silver, one-eighth of 

 an inch in thickness and three-eighths of an inch in width, bent into 

 the form of a circular ring about one inch in diameter with the ends 

 slightly overlapping. A series of eight similar rings, connected so as 

 to form a rude chain, are exhibited in the Eoyal Irish Academy 

 collection. The middle ring of this series is about one inch and a-haLf 

 in diameter, the others in the series gradually decreasing in size, the 

 smallest being about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. 



The exact use of these plain rings has not been ascertained with 

 certainty, but they are said to have been used as money in Ireland in 

 the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries, the Viking period. 

 An analysis of the ring gave the following result : — 



Silver, 



)er cent., 



95-26 



Copper, 



,, . . . 



4-08 



Gold, 



)> • .• 



•50 



Lead, 



,, . . . 



trace 



Iron, 



,, . . 



trace 





99-84 



Specific 



gravity. 



10-430 



K.I. A. PROC, SEE. 



m., VOL. ni. 





3D 



