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Description: | A complete misshapen and damaged silver thimble of Post-Medieval date, probably seventeenth century. Length 27.0mm, maximum width 25.0mm and maximum thickness 13.0mm. Weight 9.23g. The weight includes some soil within the thimble. Treasure case no. 2007 T40 (disclaimed).
The sides of the thimble are flattened and dented and only the domed top maintains its original form. It is thin walled and it may have been cast and then finished by hand. The sides taper inwards from the bottom towards the domed top. The base, in its present condition, has a width of 25.0mm. A vertical fracture at the opening extends about half way up the body. This may have occurred along a soldered join. The lower part has a plain zone, 4.8mm in depth and defined by a pair of closely aligned parallel groove within which are decorative punch marks. Within the plain zone is a stamped letter capital "G" followed by a crudely engraved motto: "Deny me not". All the letters are in lower case except the letter D which is a capital. The remaining space on the band has two capital letters formed by minute and barely visible circular punch marks, S (possibly) and B. Above the plain zone, at the sides, are twelve circumferential lines of circular indentations. The top is also indented with nine straight lines of similar but smaller circular indentations. A vertical fracture at the opening extends about half way up the body and may be on the alignment of a join.
The thimble is damaged and is worn, particularly on the top.
Silver thimbles were used increasingly by the European nobility and gentry during the 17th Century but surviving examples are rare given that thimbles were much used and, when worn, were likely to have been melted down for their bullion value. In England, silver thimbles are documented has having been donated by women on the Parliamentary side to be melted down during the Civil War. Even later 17th Century English silver thimbles are rare, with few pieces in the national collections in The British Museum and the Museum of London (Treasure Annual Report 2004, 145-6).
A similar silver thimble, without an inscription, has been reported from Lydham, Shropshire; see Treasure Annual Report 2004, 145-6, no. 333.
For information on sewing thimbles, see: Holmes, E. F. 1998. Sewing Thimbles. Finds Research Group 700 - 1700. Data Sheet 9. | 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: | 1600
1700 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Frank Basford | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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