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Description: | One complete cuff link and one disc from a second cuff link of seventeenth century date. Originally, a fourth matching disc was also found, making a complete set of cuff links, but this has subsequently been lost by the finder. Also reported are two coins of William III, one silver and one copper alloy, which are believed by the finder to be part of the same deposit. These items were recovered over several seasons of detecting between 1984 and 1988.The three cuff link discs are all of the same design; A stamped circle of silver sheet with a flange round the edge and the central motif of a crown over two hearts on a stippled field. Two of the discs are have loops of silver wire soldered to the back, and are joined by an oval loop of silver wire. The joining loop is stamped with a maker's mark which looks to be "L G" or "L C" in relief in a sunken cartouche, with italic letters. The third disc has lost its attachment loop and has slight damage to the edge. The discs are all 16mm in diameter. The complete cuff link weighs 2.51g and the single disc weighs 0.87g. Cuff links of the same design include NCL-5F5305 (2008 T184) and ESS-BB8C41 (2010 T751) and are considered to date to the 17th century.The silver coin is a very worn shilling of William III dating from 1696 or 1697, and probably minted at Bristol (See Spink's standard catalogue number 3498). The coin is 25.6mm in diameter and 1.05mm thick. It weighs 5.23g.Obverse: GVLIEL(MVS) III DEI GRAFirst draped bust right with (B) below bustReverse: legend illegibleCrowned cruciform shieldsDie Axis: 6o'clockThe copper alloy coin is also very worn, but from the size it appears to be a copper alloy core from a counterfeit silvered shilling. The obverse legend and bust are just visible, but the reverse is illegible. None of the silvering survives. It is 24.9mm in diameter, 1.2mm thick and weighs 3.88g.As the cuff links contain a minimum of 10% precious metal and are over 300 years old, they qualify as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 in terms of both age and precious metal content. The finder believes the coins and the cuff links to be part of the same deposit, so the coins can be considered as Treasure by association. However, since the objects were discovered in the 1980s, they should be considered under the old law of Treasure Trove.The Treasure Trove Laws rely on the premise that items could only be declared treasure trove (property of the Crown) if they had been hidden (buried in most cases) with the sole intention of recovery. It is my opinion that these artefacts were not buried with the sole intention of recovery and therefore they do not constitute a potential Treasure Trove Case.
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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