"Viking Wedding Bands?" Topic

This is slightly off topic, but since it relates to metal and Vikings, maybe not so much. Anyways, I recently purchased what was described as "Viking Wedding Band, c. 900 AD", from an online retailer (Picardi Jewelers, at link My question is regarding the authenticity of the ring I purchased; it is very similar to another one they offer: link

I brought it my local jewelers, but all that he could tell me was that it had trace gold plating over bronze plating (which would explain the green copper-color on my finger), and without performing a chemical analysis, that was as far as he could go. It did come with a certificate of authenticity (nothing more than a signed piece of paper with the store's name on it..); I did ask the seller for more info, but all he could tell me was that

"We purchased over 5000 items at auction in the UK in the 70's and offered the items in the galleries that we owned from 1989-2009. Since our retail galleries primarily dealt in antique prints the rings were put in storage until now and we have been offering them online."

The auction house he referenced was "Phillips" (now Bonhams). My particular concerns are 1) did Vikings wear this style of ring (which seems to be a quite modern style), 2) is it LEGAL to own this ring and 3) are Viking jewelry pieces common enough in Europe to be sold at the price I purchased it ($125), and, most importantly , does it have any chance of being authentic? Thank you for any input!!

There are some examples here of original Viking finger rings for sale:
link

and further descriptions here:
link

you might also look through this listing from finds.org.and see what you think:
link

For some reason, I thought the subject heading was about wedding bands, as in musical bands.

I was trying to imagine how awful a bunch of drunk Vikings would sound trying to play musical instruments at a wedding.

Thank God the week is almost over. I've definitely been wworking too hard.

For a moment there, I pictured three guys in fur with horned helmets playing a keyboard, guitar and sax really really badly.

[EDIT: Yet another great minds moment. Or bizarre minds.]

Alas, I have nothing definitive to tell you. I've read accounts that the Romans started the custom, and if so it might have reached "the vikings," whomever they're supposed to be. If the term simply means Scandinavians circa 900 AD (and not just roving Norwegian pirates), well, it's possible, as the centuries of trade and whatnot might have introduced the custom.
"Oo, that merchant's wife has a ring, Thorvalt! I want a ring. I'd really, really, really, like one." (Strokes his beard.) "Really."
Yeah, that's possible.

In any case, assuming it is authentic, I see no reason why it would be illegal to own it, at least in the US. But I have serious doubts about the authenticity.

Thanks guys; I have 14 days to return it, so I may pursue that. The seller does appear to have other authentic items, but what I think may have happened is this one (and other styles like it) were bought in an antique "mixed bag", and this one, at the oldest, is 19th century. I wasn't sure if this kind of thing was as common as arrow heads over here in New England, where you can get a dime a dozen, or whether these rings are typically found in hoards/burials, in which case I would not expect them to be common.

You see a lot of ancient viking items on ebay including rings like these. From what I understand farmers and land owners in the UK and areas like Slovakia, Latvia etc. lease or rent plots of land to treasure hunters with metal detectors. with the European economy in the toilet many of the unemployed are buying metal detectors and going in to business.

If you have reluctance with the purchase you may just contact the store and get a refund.

Vikings did wear rings as part of the marriage contract, so that's fine.
Like today there were richer and poorer people, and people with widely varying tastes, so some were more ornate than others. So that seems okay.

The vikings did guild things in bronze, and guild things in gold, so that seems okay too. Though doing both together on the same ring seems very odd.

So there isn't anything obviously false about it. For that price you have a nice ring, fake or not.

I have to admit, I thought this was a humorous post regarding bands for a viking wedding (at least I wasn't the only one).

Provinence is not the sort of thing you are going to prove here at TMP. We struggle to agree on old miniatures.

Best thing you can do is take it to a jeweler to determine it's value by weight. If nothing else you got a good deal on a ring.

My opinion, FWIW, is that they would have offered such an item to a museum first, and $125 USD seems way too low. But I'm not an expert, sorry.

Viking Wedding Bands usually get pretty tired of being asked to play Proud Mary, The Macarena and The Chicken Dance. But when they realized the tips involved, they played them anyway.
I hear that they got all loosey goosye when asked to play Minnie the Moocher.

farmers and land owners in the UK and areas like Slovakia, Latvia etc. lease or rent plots of land to treasure hunters with metal detectors.

Not in the UK they don't.

I'm not sure how things are now, Margard, but in UK farmers were doing this in 2002.

Throw in the Mexican Hat Dance OFM and you have the complete list of reasons I stopped going to weddings.

Twentyeight years ago my wife and I specifically requested the band we hired not to play Celebration by Kool and the Gang. It was the second song in their rotation and they had to have played it at least twice that night. I suspect Viking wedding bands are even more headstrong. Let them play whatever they like and hope they don't leave with the wedding gifts and the wimminfolk over their shoulder.

Viking weddings usually had a lot of drums and other percussion dudes in their bands; with a few imported "fifes" and the like. The Vikings hung, drew and quartered any stringed instrumentalists….