Rights Holder: West Berkshire
CC License:
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Unique ID: BERK-BE2110
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A Post Medieval biface cast lead alloy token. One side is decorated with an open sexfoil flower petal design (Powell type 1) and the other has the raised initials HC (Powell type 2). Leaden tokens were used for a variety of purposes. These ranged from small change, to checks and tallies for services rendered such as hop picking. They were in use from the Medieval period into late Post-Medieval. A number of designs exist that were probably produced in London and circulated widely around the production hub, but since lead is so easy to fabricate by far the majority were made by local artisans and were used extensively in more provincial and rural communities. Accordingly there is considerable variation in their design and quality and generally only wide date ranges can be assigned. Some producers typically in the 17th century did include dates as part of the design. The Powell classification system, in which there are over 30 categories, attempts to classify these leaden tokens according to the designs featured on each face, but it does not assign any dating information to the design typology. The suggested date range for this example is circa 1600-1800 AD. Dimensions: diameter 25.04mm; weight 8.33g
Notes:
Found during the Weekend Wanderers Lattin Down Rally 6-7 September 2008
Class: Powell type 1 and 2
Current location of find: Returned to Finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1800
Quantity: 1
Weight: 8.33 g
Diameter: 25.04 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 6th September 2008
This object was found at Weekend Wanderers - Lattin Down 08
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Other reference: 24
Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Denomination: Uncertain
Obverse description: HC (or G)
Reverse description: Open sexfoil
4 Figure: SU4083
Four figure Latitude: 51.54448457
Four figure longitude: -1.42458361
1:25K map: SU4083
1:10K map: SU48SW
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.