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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy key, dating to the 14th/ 15th century AD (length: 91mm; width at head: 33.5mm; thickness at head: 4.5mm; diameter at top of key: 12mm; weight: 45.8g). At the top of the key, a sub-circular and hollow attachment has been added separately, possibly to fix the artefact to a belt. This feature has the remains of an indented line circling the base. Below this possible attachment, the decorative lozenge-shaped head (length: 27mm; see width and thickness of head above) has the remains of a slightly irregularly and openwork central cross (length: 14mm; width: 17.5mm) with four openwork and sub-rectangular holes (average length: 8mm; width: 3mm) slanted diagonally along each of the four outside edges of the lozenge design. The hollow stem (now bent to one side with a length of 56mm) extends downwards from below the head, with two probable worn collars/ mouldings at the top of the stem. The bit (length: 17.5mm; width: 19mm) at the bottom of the stem is worn but complete with a small channel after the first cleft, with a total of two small clefts on the outside edge of the ward. The tip (diameter: 5.5mm) of the stem is open, revealing the feature to be hollow inside. Overall, the key is in a worn but fair condition with a dark green patina. A very similar design was found at Aldgate and is now part of the Museum of London collection (see London Museums Catalogues: No. 7, 1940, plate XXIX, ref no 13). This type of key has been classified by Ward Perkins as a Type VI in the catalogue, and may be dated to the 14th and 15th centuries. Keys with suspension loops may specifically date to the 15th century AD. Two other identical examples have been recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme in the West Midlands: see WMID-DA3604 & WMID-8306A0. | 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: | 1300
1500 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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