Gold Ring found using Metal Detector

Hello all -

About twenty years ago, my spouse found a ring while using a metal detector on his families property on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He's had it ever since and hasn't sought further information. It has me really curious as to the owner and if it's even possible. Missionary Ridge and the surrounding area had a VERY active Civil War scene. Of course, it could not be that old... He said that in order to retrieve it, he had to remove some dirt, which leads me to believe it had been there a while.

It's tiny. inscripted inside the ring is the name "Alice Bush" and printed with 18k. Where/who/how should I start this search? Based on the inscription, are you able to ID the inscription technique?

 

Have you tried Chattanooga family records?

 

I have not. I will certainly reach out to them.

 

I do not think that rings from the Civil War era were required to be marked for gold content. I am unsure of when law was enacted requiring it though and it does not mean some may not have been. I dabble in pocket watches and the purity marks on cases from that era are a mess as there were not stringent laws.

 

likely, Alice was working in the Bush and the ring slipped off on a warm afternoon...

 

But the 18K is STILL very nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice ring!!!!! Does it say something else in there?????

 

The name was engraved with an inside ring graver... http://www.engravingforum.com/showthread.php?t=7059

The font used is hard to date since many were used and still are,there are a number of publications available and fonts on the internet.

 

If I were guessing, I'd say that came from the 20s. It might have been where the hubs found it for a loooooong time.

 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183624683/alice-henderson
Possibly?

 

Thought I replied to this earlier but not seeing my response...

This breaks my heart. If this was this ladies, how great would it have been to return it to her... And she died last year...

 

No. Doesn't say anything else .

 

No way of knowing that was hers, more research would be needed. This woman’s maiden name was Bush, so it may not even belong to her.
You can look for my thread in photo heading, about an album of old photos I’m looking for a family member of. It hasn’t been easy.

 

Sometimes we forget to hit "Post Reply" and then what we wrote disappears!

 

Could have been her mother's.

 

Would that be a date to the left of the "18K"? If so, that might help you in your search!! OR it could have been passed down.....the engraving for "Alice Bush" looks newer than whatever's engraved to the left of the "18K"....which looks more worn.....I THINK!!!!

 

To the left of 18K is 'Alice Bush', which was engraved the opposite way up.

 

No. That's the "Alice Bush" writing .

 

This...

 

Why do things have to be so complicated!!

 

You know the answer - 'cuz.