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Description: | A fragment of copper alloy shell from a globular steelyard weight, length 57mm, width 54mm, height 63.5mm, weight 103g. This is a spherical weight that has a thick copper alloy shell (2mm thick) that would have been filled with lead. However, the weight has been damaged resulting in the loss of two thirds of the shell and the whole of the lead core. The flat top is complete this has the remains of a heavy loop on the top and is surrounded by a double engraved line. The side walls of the weight are heavily damaged and only partially remain. The surviving section consists of curved edge with a single raised shield, the shield appears to depict a double-headed eagle, this is the arms of the Hansa merchants and Imperial arms indicating that the user was symbolically 'King of the Romans'.There would have originally been three shields depicted a lion rampant, the arms of Poitou and also for Edmund, Earl of Cornwall. The third shield would have depicted the arms of England (three lions) or the arms of de Clare (three chevrons). Edmund married Margaret de Clare in 1272. Steelyard weights would have been made by Edmund on behalf of the king, and it may be that Edmund had a monopoly on their production, given the prevalence of his heraldry on those known. Edmund died in 1300 and the use of steelyards banned in 1350, so this weight is likely to date between 1272 and 1300/ 1350.
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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