Treasure 20 Bosworth – The Bosworth Boar

Bosworth Boar Badge   LEIC-A6C834

The Bosworth Boar illustrates perfectly that Treasure can have a value far above its age and metallic content.

The boar is the symbol of Richard III’s household. The fact that this livery badge is gilded silver suggests it would have been worn by a high ranking person, close to the King. This alone is very interesting, but the fact that it was recovered from the site identified as the marsh where Richard is said to have been cut down in battle means that this little piggy is very important indeed!

The Boar, affectionately known as ‘Bozzie’, would have been worn by someone fighting alongside the king, probably attempting to protect him. It helped us to confirm that we had indeed found the Battle of Bosworth Field and the very spot where the last king of England to die in battle actually fell.

In addition it is one of the very few archaeological objects that can be given a tight deposition date. We are certain that it was lost at some point on the afternoon on 22nd August 1485!

Found by the Bosworth Survey team 2010, the Boar can be seen at  Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre

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