Ancient Roman Imperial Legio X Fretensis Cast Bronze Military Ring — Roman Numeral 'X' Bezel (US Size 6–6.5 — c. 1st–3rd Century AD)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Certification: Certified Authentic — includes signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with full provenance documentation.

• Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Roman Imperial Judaea / Holy Land Sphere.

Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions

• Object: Cast Bronze Military Legionary Ring / Legio X Signet Ring

• Culture / Period: Roman Imperial Era (Legio X Fretensis Garrison in Judaea)

• Date Range: Circa 1st Century AD – 3rd Century AD (c. 70 – 250 AD)

• Ring Size: US Ring Size 6 – 6.5 (Approx. 16.5 mm – 16.9 mm inner diameter)

• Material: Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)

• Form & Architecture: Flat-section bronze band expanding into a raised rectangular bezel; bezel face features a bold, high-relief Roman numeral "X" (Legio X) set against a background field of incised diagonal cross-hatching; shoulders display carved linear accent hatchings tapering smoothly into the shank

• Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete and wearable ancient condition. Fully intact hoop matrix, crisp relief numeral 'X', preserved under an authentic dark charcoal-olive bronze patina with contrasting pale tan calcareous burial encrustations. Free of modern restoration or tooling.

Legio X Fretensis in Roman Judaea

Legio X Fretensis ("Tenth Legion of the Sea Strait") is among the most famous and storied military units in Roman Holy Land history. Dispatched to Judaea under the command of Vespasian and Titus during the First Jewish-Roman War (66–73 AD), the 10th Legion played a central role in the Siege of Jerusalem (70 AD) and led the final assault at the legendary Siege of Masada (73 AD).

Garrison at Jerusalem & Legionary Signets

Following the destruction of Jerusalem, Legio X Fretensis was permanently stationed as the principal garrison force in Judaea, establishing its main fortress camp on the Western Hill (modern Mount Zion / Citadel area). The legion remained in the province for over two centuries, also seeing heavy action during the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 AD). Legionaries and officers wore bronze rings cast with the Roman numeral "X" as personal insignia, serving both as military identification and functional signet rings for sealing personal correspondence and supply vouchers.

Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

• Primary Class: Roman Military Personal Equipment / Legionary Signet Ring

• Sub-Class: Legio X Relief Numeral Class with Hatched Field

• Manufacturing Technique: Lost-wax cast copper alloy with cold-chiseled field hatching and relief numeral execution.

Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

• Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Roman military rings and Legio X Fretensis stamped metalwork recovered from Jerusalem and Masada strata.

• British Museum (Accession No. 1856,0701.2240): Roman bronze legionary signet ring with numerical bezel.

• Rockefeller Archaeological Museum (Jerusalem): Legio X Fretensis personal military artifacts from Levantine camp deposits.

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