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Description: | Copper alloy trebuchet or tumbrel-type folding coin balance probably dating to the 13th century. The pivot or stirrup arm has a stylised zoomorphic snakes head terminal with a collar. Moving up from the zoomorphic head, the arm is faceted with incised decoration on the top face and another decorated collar before the pivot. At this end of the arm (which is broken into two pieces here) there is a rectangular slot (12mm in length), in the sides of which are two opposing holes to take a pin on which the balance beam pivoted. The arm is hollow and oval in cross section to allow the balance beam to be folded away into this gap. Most of the balance beam remains, this is flat on one side and rounded on the other. It is undecorated and tapers at one end whilst the other end is flattened and rectangular in section. The copper alloy pin to hold the beam in place remains intact through a central pivot hole. The portable balance was used to check the weight of coinage. The balance weighs 13.88g; the pivot arm measures 66.16mm in length. The width of the arm across the pivot is 8.45mm. The length of the beam arm is 60.83mm. Parallels can be seen in Salisbury Medieval Catalogue Part 3 Fig. 42, and in Medieval Artefacts by Nigel Mills (NM.219a & b).
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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