PIN

Treasure Case 2015 T25: Disclaimed, returned to finder

A post medieval silver-gilt dress-pin with squashed head and incomplete shank dating to the period c. AD 1500 - 1600. The pin head is hollow and was originally spherical. The head was formed of two hemispheres with the join marked by a raised band. About half of this join has sprung open when squashed. The head is decorated with twisted silver wire filigree. Each hemisphere is decorated with three large filigree circles. Within five of the circles there is a further small circle surrounding a central pellet. The remaining circle appears damaged at this point and the small circle and pellet are presumably lost. At each junction between the larger circles is a pellet and in each spandrel between the large circles and the central band is a small circle. At the top there is a further larger silver knop, possibly the end of the shank or a pellet. Extensive traces of gilding survive. The shank is circular in section and goes into the head through a hole at the bottom. The head is filled with mud or cement making it unclear how far the pin goes into the head. There is no clear evidence of a loop where the shank joins the head. The shank is even in diameter for about ¾ of its length before starting to taper gradually to the point. The end is now blunt and appears to have lost the pointed tip. There are traces of gilding around the top of the shank, adjacent to the head. The shank is now bent in a curve with the tip bent up at a different angle, it is not clear if either bend was original.

The head is now 11.3mm across by 11.2mm tall and 5.0mm thick. The shank is 2.0mm in diameter at the top and would be c.46mm long, unbent. The entire pin weighs 2.50 grams.

Dress pins with spherical heads decorated with filigree and granulation are frequently reported through the Treasure Act and dated to the 16^th century. A good comparison to the precise design on this example is Treasure case 2014 T250 (GLO-AC41D8) from Gloucestershire and 2006 T592 (SOMDOR-D80221) from Somerset is also similar.

The pin appears to consist of over 10% silver and be over 300 years old at the time of finding and as such qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996.