How did Gollum obtain the Great Ring according to the text?

[JosefN]

Hello! So I stumbled upon something! This quote: "I wondered often how Gollum came by a Great Ring, as plainly it was - that at least was clear from the beginning."

Now later in that chapter Gandalf says that fate of Seven and Nine is known. So given that, he should have guessed it is The One.
He didn't know yet that other Great Rings has its own gem (cause he forgot). And he possibly did know what happened to others. And yes, Great Rings = Rings of Power. And nowhere in the text is said that he thought it is a lesser ring.
I just can't figure it out. Is there any logical explanation to this, please? (It is driving me crazy.)

 

[grendel]

I suppose it depends on how you define your terms. Is the set of "Rings of Power" the same as the set of "Great Rings", or is one a subset of the other? And does either one consist ONLY of the Nine, Seven, Three... and of course the One? Gandalf also speaks of "lesser rings... that were mere essays in the craft..." Could there be lesser Great Rings (sorry!) that were not yet at the level of the 9-7-3-1? I don't know... just wondering... it does appear to be an inconsistency, JosefN. And welcome!

 

[d4rk3lf]

Could there be lesser Great Rings (sorry!) that were not yet at the level of the 9-7-3-1? I don't know... just wondering... it does appear to be an inconsistency, JosefN. And welcome!

Yes, and Gandalf said that even these lesser rings are dangerous for mortals.
What I think that people easily forgets is that from the fall of Sauron, and Bilbo's finding the The One Ring, is a period of 3000 years.
3000 years is a looooong period of time, and at that point, Siege of Barad Dur, Sauron Fall, was more of a myth, then history. Similar like in our history is Greece Trojan war. We see that at the Council of Elrond, Boromir (and many other participant) didn't even know about the Ring. They know there was "somethiing"... some powerful weapon of enemy.... and they called it Isildur Doom, but they didn't know it was a ring.
Back to Gandalf, after 3000 years, even if he knew what one ring was , it's totally natural that he (at first) discarded possibility that Bilbo found the One Ring, because a chance for that, is possibly even less possible then winning a lottery ticket.
Even when he started guessing that it might be it, he had to go to Minas Tirith to gather some more evidence for that.