The prototype of the "Ring" Tolkien was the ancient Roman ring with a curse Bashny.Net

It is assumed that the author of the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" JRR Tolkien's inspiration for creating an image of a very specific Ring Ring of earth's history. Ancient Roman ring linked to the divine curse, is now on display in an exhibit at the castle Vineyard in Hampshire.
12-gram gold ring was first found in 1785, the year near Silchester, the village, where they found the ruins of the Roman city. On the ring bears the inscription "Senitsian, live at peace with God».

Contact rings Tolkien can be tracked by taking into account other archaeological excavations in the town of Lydney, also known as "Gnomes hill", in Gloucestershire. It was there that was found a clay tablet telling about the curse on the ring Senitsiana. In accordance with its text, a man by the name of the Silwan prays unknown deity called Nodens and complains that Senitsian stole his ring. The sign says that the curse will haunt any man bearing the name Senitsian, as long as the ring will not return to the temple Nodens.

In 1929 Tolkien taught at Oxford, and archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler, who found the ring and the plate, asked the professor to advise it with respect to the name of a deity. Until recently, the ring was not present, but now decided to include it in the exposition of the castle Vine, the public was able to meet with memorabilia from the life of the great writer.

via factroom.ru