Ancient Roman intaglio ring believed to depict the first emperor Augustus and valued at £200 sells at auction for £117,000
- The 2000 year old ring is believed to depict Rome’s first emperor Augustus
- The gold ring was bought by private buyer at a Birmingham auction house
An ancient ring believed to depict Rome’s first emperor has sold at a Birmingham auction house for a whopping £117,000 after being valued at just £200.
The 2,000 year old ring, featuring the head of Augustus, had been expected to fetch between £150 and £200 but sold for 450 times its estimate at a price of £90,000 plus fees.
The first century piece of jewellery is thought to have been acquired by a traveller during a ‘Grand Tour’ to Italy in the 19th century
It was then brought back to Britain where it has since remained.
‘Grand Tour’ trips to Italy were popular among aristocrats and members of Britain’s upper class between the 17th to 19th centuries.
Set in gold, the intricately crafted ring features the ‘intaglio’ – a carving in a gem or piece of metal which leaves a hollow impression used as a seal on documents – of a man’s head in profile.
The 2,000 year old garnet intaglio ring is believed to depict Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire
The gold ring sold to a private British buyer at a Birmingham auction house following a heated bidding war
It is believed to depict Rome’s first emperor Augustus, who ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death, aged 75, in the year 14AD.
In securing victory against Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31BC, Augustus ended a bitter 13-year civil war.
The Roman emperor’s reign is often associated with imperial peace – or ‘pax Romana’.
The garnet ring went under the hammer for £90,000, or £117,000 including fees, following a heated bidding war which lasted nearly 20 minutes at the Fine Jewellery Auction held by specialist jewellery auctioneers Fellows in Birmingham.
The ring was sold alongside an array of other jewellery items, including other intaglios.
Though the jewellery team at Fellows had identified the fine craftsmanship of the garnet ring, experts failed to accurately estimate the sums bidders would be willing to spend on the ring.
The British seller is private and no further details as to how they acquired the ring were available.
The ancient piece of jewellery is thought to have been acquired a British traveller on a ‘Grand Tour’ to Italy
Nicola Whittaker, business development manager at Fellows, said the surprisingly high sale price of the ring made for an exciting occasion.
“I am delighted by the result of our Fine Jewellery auction,” she said.
“Not only did we achieve an amazing price for our vendor, but we had the opportunity to handle an extremely interesting piece of jewellery history.
“It is rare to see such an intricately carved piece in such fine condition.
“It was a privilege to offer the ring for sale in our auction.”
Fellows’ Fine Jewellery auction also featured 10 other intaglio pieces – one of which was dated back to 1AD.
The closest piece in price to the garnet intaglio ring was a carnelian fob, which was sold for £12,870
WHO WAS AUGUSTUS, THE FIRST EMPEROR OF ROME?
Augustus was the first Roman emperor, ruling from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD
Augustus was the first Roman emperor, ruling from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.
Born Gaius Octavius Thurinus in 63 BC, he came from an old and wealthy family: His great-uncle was Julius Caesar.
Augustus dramatically enlarged the Empire, including annexing Egypt, Dalmatia and more during his reign.
He initiated a number of major building projects including the Temple of Caesar, the Baths of Agrippa and the Forum of Augustus.
He said on his deathbed: ‘I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble’.
In March 2021, Augustus’ mausoleum in Rome was reopened to the public after 14 years and a $12.25 million restoration project.
