The Portable Antiquities Scheme

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A plain and elongate gold strip with near parallel sides. One terminal survives, while the other has been torn around 4-7mm from the end. The surviving terminal is loosely folded over, with an external width of 3.5-5mm. The terminal tapers gradually beyond the fold-over, with a flat but slightly convex shaped end and rounded corners. An offset crease, parallel to the terminal-end is visible 2.2-2.5mm from the edge, the strip terminal also being pinched and thinned beyond the crease. Approximately 4mm from the terminal, a pin-hole approximately 0.8mm in diameter perforates the strip. Denting on the underside or interior of the fold-over indicates the pin was pressed from the current exterior side, though small projecting margin rings of excess gold are visible on both margin surfaces. A scrape next to the perforation was probably made in error with the same fine pin at the time the perforations were made.

The opposite terminal looks to be starting to taper, near the point of the tear. One torn corner has folded over since breakage. This terminal has two perforations, each approximately 0.8mm in diameter. One perforation is approximately 2.2mm from the torn end, while the tear has bisected the second perforation. Denting on one surface indicates the pin was pressed from the same side as the perforation on the other terminal, and projecting margin rings of excess gold are visible on both surface margins. The end 12mm of the strip exhibits prominent sinuous bending at right angles to the long-axis of the strip. At one time, this was probably bent over, similarly to the other terminal.

At the mid-point along the strip is a band, indicating a point at which the strip was once folded around a larger object, itself around 20-25mm wide. This folding point is evidenced on the interior side by a localised change in the surface gold texture and delimited by linear changes of surface contour around 3.5mm apart. On the exterior surface, there is slight evidence for lines of bending of the gold in the same place. The strip edge on one side also looks to be distorted at this point.

The strip looks to have been hammer-shaped, with small surface facets, pressed ridged folds and slight localised variations in the strip-width. Slight surface scratching probably occurred during burial and retrieval.

No references cited so far.

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Created: Friday 15th January 2010
Updated: Tuesday 15th March 2011