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Description: | A fragment of a copper alloy shell from a medieval globular steelyard weight, consisting of about an eighth of the surface area, and missing its lead core. It has a dull green patina with some ingrained dirt. It measures 50.29mm long x 46.35mm wide x 4.49mm thick. It weighs 34.03g.The fragment consists of the remains of a relief-cast heater-shaped shield (straight top, convex curved sides) with some flat surface at each side. Above the shield is part of the band of incuse decoration which circled the top of the weight, consisting of a transverse groove above which are parts of three triangular "shields" each with three transverse grooves. The main relief shield has a double-headed eagle displayed, representing Richard of Cornwall as prospective Holy Roman Emperor, and also the Hanseatic League. It is quite a large shield, indicating that it was a largish weight, perhaps 2lb or more.. There would have been three or four shields around the weight; normally, in addition to this one, a lion rampant for Poitou (and Cornwall), the three lions (leopards ) of England, and possibly a (crowned) lion rampant in a border bezanty for Cornwall.Because of the quality of the casting of the eagle this weight should be placed in Brownsword and Pitt's Class A (Brownsword and Pitt 1983, 83-8) dating to the second half of the thirteenth century. It is an official weight centrally made under the authority of Richard Earl of Cornwall, before 1272, or his son Edmund after 1272. See on the PAS database PUBLIC-90E935 for a complete example with a similar eagle and further discussion, and references. See also SOM-FDCC33 for another complete example with a similar eagle.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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WEIGHT
Complete copper alloy steelyard weight…
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