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Description: | A copper alloy seal matrix of Medieval date. It has a flat circular die with hexagonally faceted conical terminal that tapers to a raised collar with three projecting circumferential ridges. Above the collar is an integral quatrefoil suspension loop with faceted exterior surfaces and small central circular perforation. At the centre of the die is a depiction of the head of John the Baptist within an inner circle. Surrounding the central motif is a legend that reads *CAPUT:IOHANNIS, presumably 'The head of John the Baptist'. The matrix measures 24.31mm in height, 18.40mm in diameter, and weighs 9.97g. The use of non-heraldic devotional motifs such as this is a common feature on seal matrices from the 14th century onwards, with Harvery and McGuinness noting examples with identical legends (Harvey and McGuinness, 1996: pp. 88-89, 114). This example is of similar date, probably belonging in the 14th century AD.
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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