Ave!

Ring, Roman, Men's, War Dog Intaglio, ca. 1st-3rd Cent

Copper alloy; 5.3gm, Ring size 4 1/2   "Shoulder" type

Con/ As Cast and Engraved; Wearable - The engraved war dog on the bezel of this ring can be clearly seen in the photo with a sword hilt (Gladius?) above.

Seller's Note/ Canis pugnaces is the Latin name for the Roman war dog that is thought to have descended from the Molossers, giant dogs from ancient Greece. The Canis pugnaces was a tenacious guardian and auxiliary warrior in the Roman Wars. Roman war dogs were used for fighting and as sentries during times of war. They were often equipped with spiked collars and armor, and some were trained to run in attack formations!

We can only conjecture as to who wore this macho ring 2000 years ago. Our best guess is that it was the centurion in charge of the "war dog cohort" and it was worn as a symbol of his authority. We have no doubt that it was used as a personal signet to seal letters and documents.