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Description: | Copper alloy tumbrel consisting of two elements, that is a vertical element and a separately cast balance arm, which articulate in such a way that when the balance is not in use it can be folded flat. The hollow-backed vertical element expands from an acorn finial at the top, through a slotted central section to a flattened foot with a damaged and incomplete base. The base of the foot widens to accommodate a vertically slotted socket in which traces of ferrous corrosion survive. The front of the vertical element is decorated with a double moulding and the slotted socket is decorated with incised cross-hatched lines. The balance-arm survives almost intact. Its tail tapers to a rounded point which is offset in the usual fashion close to the fulcrum. The balance-arms' rectangular tray has a stop ridge but is otherwise plain. The end of the rectangular tray is lost. The balance-arm is held in place by , and pivots upon, a copper alloy pin which passes through the side of the vertical element of the tumbrel. Length of vertical element 85mm, maximum width of vertical element 13.5mm, length of blance-arm 77.5mm, weight 31.4 grams. Excavated examples have been recovered from contexts ranging in date from the twelfth to the fourteenth centuries; however, the vogue of the type may extend beyond this date range as functioning examples are recorded as balancing weights of approximately 12 grains (about 0.78 grams) to about 22.2 grains (about 1.4 grams) which are comparable with silver pennies issued between 1279 and 1526 (Rogers 1993, 1; Egan 1998, 328-329, no.1059). Post-medieval examples of this form of coin ?balance are unknown in Europe (Mac Gregor 1985, 422). Unfortunately, the loss of the end of the balance arm of the Foel Farm Park tumbrel means that it is not possible to calculate the weight at which it balanced; however, its form is closely paralleled by a complete example reportedly from Stourbridge Fair, Cambridgeshire which balances weights which are consistent with the reduced issues current between AD1351 and AD1412 (Mac Gregor 1985, 441-442, no.2, fig.1). | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 1066
1540 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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