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BROOCH
Unique ID: WMID-502BD4
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A cast copper-alloy Roman bow brooch of Trumpet headed type. The brooch is incomplete, missing the lower part of the bow and its pin. The head has the expanded, bell-like head familiar to Trumpet brooches. A perforated lug behind the head would once have held the spring. In the middle of the bow there is a moulding flanked by horizontal ribs. It is almost flat at the back. The central moulding is decorated with two cells which contain red enamel. It is likely that there was once more enamelled cells, but poor preservation prevents identification of these. Parts of the brooch appear to retain gilding, but as this occurs on parts of the brooch where the surface patina appears to have degraded and is pitted, this effect is more likely to reflect recent polishing of the brooch.
The finder has drawn attention to what he suggests may be a face at the top of the bow, just before the head, revealed during cleaning. However, it is the opinion of this Finds Liaison Officer, upon magnified examination, that this is the result of corrosion which happens to have occurred in such a way as to suggest a crude human face, and was not part of the original design of the brooch.
It measures 35.1 mm long, 7.22 mm wide, 6.43 mm thick and weighs 5.54 grams. The brooch probably dates to the late first century AD.
Class: Trumpet
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 75
Date to: Circa AD 100
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 35.1 mm
Width: 7.22 mm
Thickness: 6.43 mm
Weight: 5.54 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st February 2010 - Wednesday 31st March 2010
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Enamel
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Spatial metadata
Region: West Midlands (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Staffordshire (County)
District: Newcastle-under-Lyme (District)
Parish or ward: Whitmore (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SJ8140
Four figure Latitude: 52.957032
Four figure longitude: -2.284274
1:25K map: SJ8140
1:10K map: SJ84SW
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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