Antique 18K Gold Royal Interest Cypher Monogram Enamelled Presentation Ring

A beautifully enamelled Royal monogram ‘cypher’ presentation ring of Prince Arthur William, Duke of Connaught and Strathern. It was made around 1905 and crafted in 18K gold. It would have started life as a royal presentation lapel pin and has since been converted into a ring. The cypher features crimson and ivory enamel and is placed below an intricate coronet with fleurs-de-lis and crosses pattée, the coronets used by children or grandchildren of the British sovereign.

Presentation items such as precious pins and brooches were common gifts from royal houses in the 19th and early 20th centuries to loyal subjects who had rendered outstanding service. They were considered to be the highest non-military awards and usually bear the initials ("royal cypher") of the member of the royal house from whom the gift was awarded. These presentation gifts are particularly rare as they were never produced for sale to the general public.

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, 1st May 1850 – 16th January 1942, was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

It was at an early age that Arthur developed an interest in the army and in 1866 he enrolled at the Royal Military College at Woolwich, from where he graduated two years later and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers on 18th June 1868. The Prince transferred to the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 2nd November 1868.

He served for some 40 years in the army seeing service in various parts of the British Empire. During which he became the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, as well as the Earl of Sussex. In 1911, he was appointed as Governor General of Canada.

UK size V 1/2, US size 11, 4.31g 18K hallmarked yellow gold, bezel measures 15mm x 13mm