Trade Ring.

[BIENER]

Posted this ring on today's finds and found out that it's a fur trade ring dating between 1650-1750 AD. What a wealth of information this site is. Here are a few pics.

 

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[bill_wabo]

Hudson Bay Company (HBC) trade ring, with the glass remaining it's a beauty. Congrats on that great find.

 

[flintlock]

Yes it is a BEAUTY!!!

 

[KirkS]

Hudson Bay Company (HBC) trade ring, with the glass remaining it's a beauty. Congrats on that great find.

What was the purpose of these rings? Who wore them, traders or their wives? Was it a way to identify someone that was part of the HBC? Interesting stuff!

 

[bill_wabo]

No expert here, but read a bit about this. The Jesuits started this trend by giving copper and silver rings in exchange for religious conversion and sometimes for goods exchange. Much later, the HBC and North West Fur Trade Company would trade rings, beads, musket balls, muskets, blankets, axes, etc, in exchange for fur pelts. The north and east tribes liked very much these ornaments for their women and the men prefered silver as it was worn to chase bad luck, demons and so and also show their status. I believe both companies were fighting for the biggest part of the pie and were trying to find the coolest ornaments and items to please the tribes and ensure long term exchanges.

 

[GuyToken]

Nice trade ring.
GuyToken

 

[abucooche]

beautiful!!!!!

 

[Ripcon]

What a great piece of history. Great find. Love it!!

 

[Ia.FurTrade]

Nice ring!

Iowa Dale

 

[Obsessive]

Whaaaat! Thats very cool.

With a find like this, is it better to leave it in its found condition? Or very carefully clean it up to try and bring out its original beauty?

 

[Ia.FurTrade]

Whaaaat! Thats very cool.

With a find like this, is it better to leave it in its found condition? Or very carefully clean it up to try and bring out its original beauty?

Personal preferance, I guess........I have left all mine the way I found them. However, I have straightened many pieces of Trade Silver that were damaged by farming equipment, but did not polish them.

Iowa Dale