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Description: | Treasure case 2009 T667: Not TreasurePossible 18th/19th century pocketwatch suspension loop or keyring with winders and earlier 17th century silver hawking vervel attachedDiameter of largest ring including iron lump: 28.36mm, Thickness: 2.5mm, Thickness of iron lump: 11.2mm.Diameter of small gold ring: 10.48mm, Thickness: 3.34mm.Diameter of small silver ring: 12.22mm, Thickness: 0.96mmTotal weight: 5.95gThe object consists of a gold ring, decorated with small engraved curved lines and dots on both sides. This ring has an overlapping split at one point, which allows it to be opened. Attached to this is a roughly pea-sized, misshapen lump of iron that has become fused in place due to erosion. A further two, smaller rings hang on this larger one. One is flattened and silver, whilst the other is gold and of a similar construction to the larger ring.The first of these two rings has the words 'Cothelstoe in Somerset' engraved around the edge of one face, the style of the lettering perhaps suggesting a 17th century date. The second has an engraved foliate design covering all sides and what appears to be the remains of a circular fitting or similar on the outer edge with a void in its centre. There is a small break at one side, which has exposed what appears to iron or steel wire in the centre of the ring, surrounded by greenish erosion that is possibly the remains of copper alloy. Iron of course needs a coating of copper alloy to allow it to be gold plated - perhaps providing an explanation for this unusual construction. Whether the larger ring is similarly constructed is difficult to determine because it is complete. However, this does seem likely due to the general similarity of design.The object was found together with two smaller copper alloy loops. One is oval in shape with a spike extending from one end (raised lines on the outside suggesting that this may have been a screw) and a blunt protrusion with a rivet through it extending from the other end. The other is circular in shape, with short protrusions at either end.Cothelstone manor, to which the inscription on the smaller ring may relate, stands to the northwest of Taunton; a considerable distance from where the object was found. The house that stands there today was originally built in the 16th century, before being largely destroyed in 1646 and later rebuilt in the 19th century (Somerset HER). This ring may possibly be a hawking vervel, used for attaching a bird's jesses to its perch, owned by the manor. There are a variety of these, of varying construction, recorded on the PAS database. However, treasure case 2006 T590 (from North Yorkshire) and record number BUC-4A6CC2 (from Berkshire), both show vervels of a similar construction to this object. Geoff Egan (pers. comm..) points out, however, that vervals typically have the owner's name as well as address inscribed upon them, suggesting that this object may in fact have had a different purpose.The two gold rings appear to be of such a similar design and construction that they are almost certainly related to one another in some way. Paul Manning at Amews Falconry, Hampshire (pers. comm..) has suggested that if the silver ring is indeed a vervel, then the larger ring may be the remains of other hawking equipment, such as an unusually small and fine indoor perch, with an iron swivel to allow the bird to move. However, he feels that this is fairly unlikely, as the rings are so different and the smaller gold one would have no apparent purpose. To add further doubt to this theory, it seems certain that the smaller ring is the top of a small 18th/19th century pocketwatch winder, which is not an uncommon find (see PAS record KENT-314CF0). The two copper alloy objects also appear to be pocketwatch winders of a different, simpler style. Similar examples of this type can be seen attached to a fob seal on PAS record SUSS-88C008. John Nichols, an amateur archaeologist and metal detectorist from Cumbria, has suggested that the larger ring may therefore be the remains of a pocketwatch suspension loop, which ties in well with this theory. However, David Thompson (pers. comm..), the Curator of Horology at the British Museum is not entirely convinced. He comments:I don't think the object is actually a watch pendant. In terms of size it is almost too large to be such a thing. There were certainly watch cases and pendants made from gold-plated base metal and also a processed known as rolled-gold. Having said that, I would say that the item here it is plated and iron is not usually the base metal. Watch cases were more usually plated copper alloy. What is also puzzling me is the ring attached to the pendant, which is of the same material. This would suggest that if the object is a watch pendant, then the attached ring is what remains of a watch key - the steel part having corroded to nothing. However, if that is the case, then the watch-key attached permanently to the pendant bow as here would be unusable. So overall, I'm not sure, but I suppose I think that it probably isn't a watch-case pendant and bow.As noted above, the larger ring does actually have an opening, which would allow the winder to be removed if necessary. However, research hasn't yielded any further examples of pocketwatches with loops of such a design. A silver keyring, of an almost indentical design, however, with an 18th/19th century pocketwatch winder attached can be seen at: http://www.heirloomjewellery.com/heirloom%20jewellery%20sold%20items.htm, raising the question of whether this is in fact what the object is? This theory does not account, however, for the iron lump, which does look very much like the globular knops usually attached to the tops of pocketwatches. Although this may in fact be the top of another very eroded key or other object, or perhaps it is indeed the top of a pocketwatch where the original loop was replaced with a keyring! Certainly the keyring/pocketwatch theory may explain why the silver loop, which is of a different material, construction (and probably date judging by the script), came to be attached to the others. Perhaps the owner of the pocketwatch/keyring found this earlier object, thought it to be of interest and attached it to the loop for safekeeping. Or alternatively perhaps it is a family heirloom used as an address tag.References Somerset Historic Environment Record, PRN 40220With thanks to David Thompson (Curator of Horology, The British Museum)Paul Manning (Amews Falconry, Hampshire)Geoff Egan (PAS Finds Advisor, Medieval and Post-Medieval artefacts)John NicholsRob Webley (Finds Liaison Officer for Hampshire)
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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