Rings made of brass or bronze, with an elliptic disk or seal, given by the Jesuit missionaries (c.1670) to their pupils in Oneida, New York, if they could repeat on Sunday what had been taught them the preceding week. As many as 30 have been taken from a single grave, testifying to the faithfulness of their owner. They displayed many devices, some almost effaced by time; I.H.S., with a cross above, was a favorite, others showed a heart, a monogram with a conspicuous letter M, or the crucifixion. They were of a rude and cheap character, although a few were of good design and finish, and they were not often large, as they were usually given to women and children. None are as early as the middle of the 17th century and few are as recent as its close.
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