2022 has been a year when we could fully get back to meeting finders face to face, holding finds days, in person meetings, talks and events. Some of the highlights have been a series of talks given across the county including one given by Teresa at The Potteries Museum at the Reinterpreting the Staffordshire Hoard / gallery relaunch. There were also a variety of different activities on offer from helmet making for kids and Viking storytellers.

Teresa also held a Roman Finds Handling session for Year 4 at a Primary Academy in Lichfield. The children enjoying being able to handle actual finds, especially from Letocetum which they had already been learning about.

Victoria attended the Perton Library History Day for the first time with the handling collection. It was a busy day and included local history societies and re-enactors. Over 650 visitors came through the doors on the day!

Tamworth Castle acquired a number of treasure items recently with the help of the friends of the museum. They are now on display in the new archaeology displays at the castle. The displays bring the objects to life and re-tell the importance of Tamworth in the 7th to 9th centuries when it was the principle royal and administrative centre of the Mercian kings.

The Following finds have been discovered in Staffordshire and recorded in 2022, and noted as interesting and worthy of highlighting by Sarah Williams, Finds Liaison Assistant in the West Midlands:

A unique and unusual Medieval annular style brooch dated to circa AD 1200 – 1400. It was found in East Staffordshire and added to the PAS database in February. Made from copper-alloy, the brooch is surprisingly well intact with around 75% of the object still present. four and two halves of the six projecting knops are present, but the pin is missing. The beautiful detail to the brooch includes six large and flat, projecting knops. Four are complete and two are partially present. Each projection is bifurcated at the outer end and each of the two terminals on each bifid knop having grooves suggesting moulding as a fleur-de-lis. The space where a seventh similar knop would fit is occupied by a constriction for the (now missing) pin.

It’s a beautiful and unique design and has been classed as an object of local importance in the county. An almost exact example (see image below) has been found in West Yorkshire and is recorded on the PAS database at SWYOR-101D47.

What can be more exciting than a near complete Bronze Age palstave! A beautiful object and classified as being locally important.

Found in South Staffordshire, the palstave has been cast in copper-alloy. Around 90% of the palstave is present, but the blade edge and butt are incomplete. The septum gradually tapers towards the butt. The flanges start off parallel to the stop ridge and taper in a straight diagonal line to the butt. The blade has concave sides as it expands towards a crescentic blade edge. It fits within the Early Phase Palstave types, consistent with dating between c. 1500 to c. 1250 cal BC.

On the PAS database, this record also contains a 3D scan of the palstave. Throughout 2022 Teresa (FLO) has been 3D scanning objects on the mobile phone app Qlone and adding them to object records on the database. These scans can help people see an object up close and in much more detail, rather than just relying on a 2D image. It is a quick and easy way to scan finds and can take all of 15 minutes to scan and upload onto your computer! So keep an eye out for more 3D scans in 2023.

Next up on notable finds in detailed Early Medieval strap end, dating to circa AD 750-900. Found in Stafford, this strap end is made from copper-alloy and is partially incomplete.

The object is flat in profile and sub-rectangular in plan with a rounded tip. The opposing terminal is partially retained with the upper plate of this split end partially present, with the lower plate missing. The upper surface of the plate has an incised decoration composed of a moulded and incised zoomorphic style terminal with a rounded snout with two punched pellets to indicate nostrils, above which are two punched pellets to indicate eyes.  Above the zoomorphic terminal is a pair of incised comma shaped ears, above which is an incised Trewhiddle style design of interlaced animal limbs within an incised outer border. The strap end falls within Thomas (2003) Class A and based on the incised decoration is a Type 2. A 3D scan of the strap end is available to look at on its PAS record at WMID-23E5B9.https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1063549

A unique half penny trade token dated to AD 1667. The incomplete copper-alloy trade token was found in Stafford and the obverse depicts the mercer’s arms and the inscription reads: [SAMVELL] COTTON MERCER. The centre of the reverse states HIS HALF PENNY S C, surrounded by the inscription stating: IN STAFFORD [1667]. The object is unique and locally important because the trade token is the first example of Samuel Cotton’s tokens recorded on the PAS database.

Trade tokens were issued between AD 1648 and AD 1672 at a time when there was little low denomination coinage being issued by the crown. As a result, traders and business proprietors began issuing tokens as an alternate coinage with equivalent denominations of a farthing, half penny or penny. Such trade tokens rarely travel far from their place of issue and provide an insight to the trade of the time. In AD 1672 regal copper coinage was introduced and the trade tokens were then banned (Besly 1997, 20).

In Williamson (1967), he references Samuel Cotton tokens on p.1056 no.55 and dates them to 1667.

This simple but striking object is a harness fitting from the Late Iron Age period, dated to circa 100 BC to 100 AD.

Although small, the distinct patterned design with the red enamel still in place is the reason I have picked this object for the top finds in Staffordshire this year.

Found in Lichfield, this harness fitting is made from copper-alloy and inlaid with enamel. It has an irregular comma type shape, with the rounded head and squared tail. The head has three enamel panels, each a lentoid or pointed oval shape, creating a triskele shape between them. The remaining two panels of enamel are sub triangular in shape, continuing down the length of the ‘comma’ tail’. The reverse of the tail has a curved recess, probably when it was fixed to another object. Behind the rounded head, is a circular shank with a patinated break at the end.

The object record has a 3D scan, so if you would like to see this object in more detail please visit the record number here: WMID-4E07EE.