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Description: | A Medieval copper alloy pointed-oval seal matrix set within a silver mount, and with a Roman carnelian intaglio at the centre within a silver surround. It measures 27.37mm in length, 23.21mm in max.width and 10.69mm in max.thickness. It weighs 10.23g.The legend reads + AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA between two lines of circular punches. The intaglio, which is oval in shape and slightly damaged to one end, lies at 90degrees to the + at the start of the legend. The intaglio depicts a horned animal (a stag?) and another animal walking left, towards the + of the legend. It measures 11.56x10.10mm within a c.1mm wide silver setting. It projects slightly from the face of the matrix, c.0.65mm.The edges of the matrix slope downwards and inwards, and stand 4.90mm tall. The silver casing is just apparent at the edge of the matrix when view from the front, but constitutes the entire reverse of the matrix, including the loop. The angled edges give a slightly smaller reverse foot print to the front of the matrix, measuring 24.66x20.71mm.The loop, which is arranged vertically on the reverse, measures 27.23mm in length, the pierced end extending beyond the reverse face. The pierced end is behind the + at the front of the matrix. In style the loop arrangement resembles a buckle pin of Medieval date with a short collar beneath the loop. The 'pin' narrows from 2.46mm wide here to 0.90mm at the rounded point.Martin Henig comments on the intaglio, "It is clearly a cornelian and looks to me that it shows two cattle beneath a tree, one to the right and one to the left, expressive of the fecundity of the countryside. It is quite a common theme especially in the Augustan period, late in the 1st century BC, early decades of 1st 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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