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Rose gold signet ring, maternal inheritance of Maude Abbott

Colour photograph of the face of a rose gold ring. The ring is gold coloured and its face is decorated with gold lettering and border on a black background, bearing the inscription “ROBT SMITH OB 15 JAN 1817 AET 69”. The background of the photo is beige.

Maude Abbott inherited a rose gold signet ring from her mother dating from 1817. The bezel is inscribed “ROBT SMITH OB 15 JAN 1817 AET 69”. This commemorative signet ring provides specific information on the death of Robert Smith, Frances Mary’s father. Ob is an abbreviation of the Latin “obit”, meaning “he is dead”, and AET means “aged, or at the age of.” Thus he died on January 15, 1817 at the age of 69. Rose gold is an alloy composed of 75% gold, 5% silver and 20% copper.