Rights Holder: Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum
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UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT
Unique ID: WILT-B19395
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A fragment of thick lead sheeting, measuring 69.15x56.85x5.19mm and weighing 106.01g. To the reverse it is plain but to the other face, the top two thirds are taken up with a panel of lettering - the remanants of an A possibly, R or E and a ligated C or O and H. The stem of the first leg of the H continues vertically to the break, which appears to be relatively recent. The opposite edge appears complete. The break at the A has been cut, but is patinated. This cut is vertical but steps inward for the top third of the object. The break on the opposite side is jagged and slightly rough still.
Suggestions are that it could be part of a portable font, or even a coffin.
Kevin Leahy, National Finds Adviser, comments: I too don't know what this; the identifications suggested are possible but I think that it is more likely to be part of lead garden planter or a collecting tank for water off a roof which often bore a name or a motto. While the letters might be Medieval a Post-Medieval date would seem more likely. A curious piece.
Inscription:
AECH or AROH
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1500
Date to: Circa AD 1800
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 69.15 mm
Width: 56.85 mm
Thickness: 5.19 mm
Weight: 106.01 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 24th February 2011 - Thursday 28th April 2011
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: SSWM 3673
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
District: Wiltshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Wingfield (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: ST8357
Four figure Latitude: 51.311856
Four figure longitude: -2.245287
1:25K map: ST8357
1:10K map: ST85NW
Grid reference source: From finder
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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