Gold hoops engraved inside or outside the hoop with a romantic motto were known as posy rings, from the French word 'poesie', or poem. Some posies were quite standardised and could be suggested by the jeweller or found in a book of mottoes or posies. Others must have been chosen by the loving donor. The outer hoop of this ring is engraved with animals and plants. Traces of white enamel on the hare suggest that the ring would once have been brightly coloured. The inscription in the inner hoop 'Loyalty not fear' might refer to a lover's hopes but could also refer to a family motto. Although the motto is written in French, the owner may not have been. French was still widely used at court and between literate people.

This ring forms part of a collection of 760 rings and engraved gems from the collection of Edmund Waterton (1830-87). Waterton was one of the foremost ring collectors of the nineteenth century and was the author of several articles on rings, a book on English devotion to the Virgin Mary and an unfinished catalogue of his collection (the manuscript is now the National Art Library). Waterton was noted for his extravagance and financial troubles caused him to place his collection in pawn with the London jeweller Robert Phillips. When he was unable to repay the loan, Phillips offered to sell the collection to the Museum and it was acquired in 1871. A small group of rings which Waterton had held back were acquired in 1899.