STUD

A complete cast copper alloy lock pin of Roman date, AD 43 - 410. The lock pin is comprised of a tapering rectangular-sectioned shaft and a wide, circular head. From the widest end of the shaft an integrally cast spindle shaped head extends. The upper face of the head is sunken around a central boss.
The metal has a mid greenish-brown patina and is worn. The lock pin is 24mm long, 17.9mm in diameter at the head and weighs 8.8g.
A similar example is illustrated in Crummy, p.125, fig.137, no.4142, and is from a 2nd century context.

Bell-shaped studs are a multi-purpose form of artefact, commonly found on sites dating to the Roman period. The key difference from other Roman studs, nails and fittings is the circular countersunk or convex face, which usually has at its centre a boss or cone.

While their exact purpose is not fully understood, they are believed to have been used, for example, on furniture, doors, and caskets, such as the bronze box-plate from Walheim Germany (Allason-Jones and McKay 1985, 30). It is noted that unless found in-situ, or as part of a set, it is rarely possible to attribute the stud to a specific purpose (Allason-Jones 2011, 8-9). Often found in association with northern frontier forts, the studs are known to be in use from the 1st to 4th centuries AD.

Refs:

Allason-Jones, L. (2011) Artefacts in Roman Britain: Their Purpose and Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Allason-Jones, L. and McKay, B. (1985) Coventina's Well: A Shrine on Hadrian’s Wall. Trustees of the Clayton Collection Chesters Museum, Hexham.