Should you be or live with one of those strange creatures – a Ricardian – you might wonder what would be a suitable present.  A few things showed up on my Google Alert and other sites lately, showing us something different for the Ricardian that has already got all the books (as if that was possible!).

There are some nice items from the University of Leicester [1] themed for the archaeological dig in which their scientists are playing such a vital role.  What about a mug in a Yorkist blue?  Or a T-shirt, either in blue or khaki?  Not only will this be your very own memento of this exciting period, the profits from the sale will go to support the University’s research commitment.

If the Ricardian in your life not mind Shakespeare’s more questionable portrayal of this king, s/he might like a window transfer [2] showing the image of Richard III falling from his horse, which is a reproduction of the Shakespeare window in Southwark Cathedral in London.  Unfortunately it also bears the famous – but untrue – quote about a horse.

If you want to splash out a bit more what about a coin [3] like the one which sold recently for £ 36,000?  It’s not just any old coin – though it is old, dating from 1484 to be precise.  It is a gold angel in almost pristine condition depicting bearing Richard III’s personal emblem, a boar’s head.  It was discovered earlier this year about 12 miles (about 19 km) south of the Bosworth battle site, but it is unlikely that it was lost by someone going to or coming from the battle.

Another suggestion for the discerning Ricardian might be something like the document bearing Richard III’s signature [4] which was recently auctioned for £ 109,250.  The document was written just a few months before Bosworth settling a property dispute in Warwickshire between a “pooer Subgiet Robert Dalby” by “oone Robert Worsley of Chepyngton”.  Documents signed by Richard as king are very rare as his reign was so short.

Having solved the problem of what to get, you might consider wrapping your present in a suitably themed wrapping paper [5], showing the famous portrait from the National Portrait Gallery in the UK (on the right of this post).

Of course, the celebrations are not all about the giving of gifts, there should be some feasting with family and friends, too.  May we suggest some ‘Richard III Wensleydale’ cheese [6] with a glass of ‘Battle of Bosworth’ wine from McLaren Vale [7]?  The wines are made from organically grown grapes.  To accurately assess Richard III’s brother, George duke of Clarence, might be a bit a sticky problem, but it might be easier with a glass of ‘Clarence Sticky Semillon’.  Though for special occasions like the holiday season the ‘White Boar’ has to be a must.

1.    http://shop.le.ac.uk/
2.    http://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/homeware/shakespeare-richard-iii-round-window-transfer/invt/cmcn436490/?stylecat=shop_shopby
3.    Peter Warzynski, ‘Collector pays £36k for gold coin found in Leicestershire bearing Richard III emblem’, This is Leicestershire (8 Dec 2012).  URL:  http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Collector-pays-pound-36k-gold-coin-Leicestershire/story-17525801-detail/story.html Date accessed:  9 Dec 2012
4.    ‘Richard III signed document tops estimate by 628.3%’, Paul Fraser Collectibles (13 June 2012).  URL:  http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/AUTOGRAPHS/2012-News-Archive/Richard-III-signed-document-tops-estimate-by-628.3pc/11121.page Date accessed:  8 Dec 2012
5.    http://www.etsy.com/listing/112879386/richard-iii-wrapping-papergiftrwrap
6.    http://www.finecheese.co.uk/our-cheeses/richard-iii-wensleydale.html
7.    http://www.battleofbosworth.com.au/

Tags: Christmas, Richard III