{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O118426"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O118426/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JF6000/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JF6000/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JF6000","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JF6001","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN6173","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2020MT7315","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O118426/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O118426","accessionNumber":"M.55-1960","objectType":"Ring","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"From at least the fifteenth century, candidates called to be admitted to the ranks of Serjeants-at-Law (from whose ranks judges were appointed) were required to present rings bearing an appropriate legal or patriotic motto to the monarch and various  dignitaries. They frequently also gave further rings as souvenirs to their friends. The practice came to an end when the office was abolished by  the Judicature Act of 1875. New mottoes were chosen at each call; the rings differing in value according to the rank of their recipients. The rings  were generally gold with a suitable motto inscribed around the outer  hoop although some early examples appear to have been enamelled.\n\r\nThe custom of giving rings is described by Sir John Fortescue around  1470 in '<i>De Laudibus Legum Angliae</i>' as follows: all serjeants at their appointment \"shall give rings of gold to the value of forty pounds at the  least, and your Chancellor well remembreth that at the time he received  this state and degree, the rings which he then gave stood him in fifty  pounds\"  (De Laudibus Legum Angliae c.59). A full description of the  investiture ceremonies and a list of mottoes up to 1765 was given by Mr  Serjeant Wynne in <i>Observations touching the Antiquity and Dignity of  Serjeants at Law</i>, 1765. The Order of Serjeants was often known as the Order of the Coif, due to their distinctive headwear, consisting of a white lawn cap or coif and a scarlet hoop. The ceremony in which the Serjeants were invested finished with a lavish feast. Having gold rings made to distribute and financing the feast was a heavy outlay but becoming a serjeant allowed the lawyer to practice in the court of Common Pleas where the most lucrative property litigation was heard and the highest fees could be charged. It was reported by Fortescue that 'there is no advocate in the wide world who makes so much out of his office as the serjeant does'.\n\nThe motto 'Mos et lex' means Law and Custom - two essential elements of civil law. They were interpreted as 'Lex', the written laws of the land and 'Mos', unwritten customs sanctioned by age. It was used by several serjeants. The case reports from the 'King's Court at Westminster' by George Wilson in 1799 state that on 26 January 1771 'Sir William de Grey, Knight, the King's Attorney General  called to the degree of Serjeant at Law and appointed Lord Chief Justice C.B in the room of Lord Chief Justice Wilmot who resigned after having presided there above four years with great honour and dignity'. \n\nIn 1792, a Memorandum in the 'Report of cases argued and Determined in the Court of Common Pleas' reports that Sir Robert Dallas, his Majesty's Solicitor General, was appointed one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas...On Thursday the 18th of November, he was called to the degree of serjeant at law and gave rings with the motto 'Mos et lex', and on the following day, he took his seat at the bench.' The motto was used again by William Taddy in 1818.\n\nEdmund Price, the goldsmith who made this ring was listed as a goldsmith working on Maiden Lane and Wood Street in London in 1773. He may have specialised in this type of jewellery - four other serjeant's rings with his mark are held at the British Museum and another one in the Inner Temple. \n\n","physicalDescription":"Serjeant-at-Law's gold ring inscribed on the outside 'Mos et Lex', the call of William de Grey, etc. 1771, maker's mark of Edmund Price","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Prince, Edmund","id":"A16859"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraved","id":"AAT53829"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraved gold","categories":[{"text":"Ceremonial objects","id":"THES48981"},{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2016JF6000","2016JF6001","2007BN6173","2020MT7315"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES407868"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Ring","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1771","earliest":"1771-01-01","latest":"1771-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Dame Joan Evans","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"1.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"inscribed 'Mos et Lex'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"'Custom and Law'","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Call of William de Grey etc. 1771"},{"content":"mark","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Maker's mark for Edmund Price"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Serjeant-at-Law's gold ring inscribed with the call of William de Grey, maker's mark of Edmund Price, England, 1771","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'Notes and Queries', September 26, 1863, p.252"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Arthur Grimwade, <u>London Goldsmiths 1697-1837, their marks and lives</u> (London, 1976), p 282)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.55-1960"],"accessionNumberNum":"55","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1960,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LU9991"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-21","recordCreationDate":"2005-11-11","availableToBook":true}}