In Imperial Rome, members of the royal court and nobility often wore portraits of the emperor engraved on gems. Such tokens identified the political allegiance of the wearer and were sometimes given by the ruler himself as marks of special favor. Intaglios, or carving on colored precious stones, were very popular with both men and women; and worn as seal rings for ornamentation, or as a type of personal signature when impressed upon wax or clay. This very attractive intaglio shows a Roman eagle with its head turned around, and what may be a laurel wreath in its mouth. On either side of the eagle are staffs with horizontal bars, reminiscent of the Roman military standard. Given these distinctive emblems we might speculate this intaglio was made for a high-ranking person in the military, or perhaps a senator. This ring is as distinctive as the person who wears it; creating an impression that will endure forever.