Frankish, 7th-8th century AD or later. A substantial round-section gold hoop with hooked ends attached to the underside of a discoid plaque, pairs of large granules to the shoulders; the plaque with undulating incised lines to the outer edge, incuse beaded border, intaglio facing bearded bust with cross above; with reversed and incuse legend 'DVX S CODEFRE' at sides for Duke Godefred; possibly a later commemorative. Cf. Hadjadj, R. Bagues Merovingiennes - Gaul du Nord, Paris, 2007 items 237 355. Accompanied by an Art Loss Register certificate. 38 grams, 27mm overall, 23.41mm internal diameter (approximate size British Z+3 1/2 USA 14 1/4 Europe 33.42 Japan 31) (1"). Property of a German lady living in London; acquired London, UK, in the early 1990s. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate. Possibly associated with Duke Godefred (or Gotfrid, died 709 AD) of the Alamans; the Alamanni were foes of Rome from the 3rd century AD, who took part in battles through to the mid-6th century AD. They occupied the left bank of the Rhine, the modern day Alsace region and were defeated by Clovis, the first Christian King of the Franks in the late 5th and early 6th century AD; the region was then generally under the control of Frankish dukes until the mid 8th century AD. The spelling CODEFRE represents the Frankish personal name 'Godefred' and the Alamanni name survives in the Romance languages as Allemagne.

Very fine condition.