To celebrate Valentine's Day we are exploring the story of a four hundred year old love token discovered in a Lancashire field.

This silver thimble dating to the 17th century was found near the village of Gisburn in the Ribble Valley by a metal detectorist in 2019. The thimble is decorated with conjoined hearts, flanked by two cupids and engraved with the initials 'AH'. It was clearly intended as a love token or a sign of betrothal. Similar items have been found engraved with inscriptions like 'be true in love as a turtle dove' or 'love me, and leave me not', similar to posy rings which were popular from the Medieval period. The word 'posy' derives from the French term 'poésy' to describe a motto or poem inscribed inside a ring.

The thimble also acted as a symbol of domestic life which a woman was to assume after marriage. It is therefore likely that this thimble was given to a woman in Lancashire in the 17th century during courtship as a sign of commitment, and her acceptance was a sign of her willing participation. Silver thimbles from this period are rare as they were much used items which were often melted down for their bullion value and recycled.