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Lot Essay
This ring commemorates the death of John Quincy (1689 - 1767), the maternal great-grandfather of John Quincy Adams, (1767 - 1848), who served as the 6th President of the United States from 1825 to 1829. Born in Boston, Quincy was elected to represent Braintree at the Massachusetts General court in 1717, where he served until 1740, acting as Speaker of the House from 1729 to 1741. His granddaughter Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818) named her first son John Quincy Adams after her grandfather.
Two gold mourning rings identical to this one and attributed to an unknown Massachusetts maker are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and are illustrated in K. Buhler, American Silver, Boston, 1972, fig. 253, p. 299. Another Quincy family mourning ring, similar in style but lacking the paste gems, was inscribed for Edmund Quincy in 1768 and is illustrated in Buhler, fig. 255, p. 300.
Two gold mourning rings identical to this one and attributed to an unknown Massachusetts maker are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and are illustrated in K. Buhler, American Silver, Boston, 1972, fig. 253, p. 299. Another Quincy family mourning ring, similar in style but lacking the paste gems, was inscribed for Edmund Quincy in 1768 and is illustrated in Buhler, fig. 255, p. 300.