Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
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Unique ID: WAW-C56714
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Early-Medieval (late 8th and 10th centuries) copper-alloy strap end: the strap end is incomplete as the end which is attached to the strap is missing. This break is not recent and it appears to be bent before it was broken. The strap end is an elongated sub-oval (due to the break) with a rounded terminal. The strap end is composed of two plates. The upper plate is decorated with a faint modelled animal head terminal which has a slightly narrower snout, and ears depicted a circular platform which becomes a spiral. The tip has a small rivet hole through the two plates. Behind the head there is a single panel depicting an elongated 'X' shape formed by two high-relief crescents back-to-back. In the fields around this 'X' there is possibly decoration, but it is obscured by abrasion.
The reverse is undecorated.
The surface of the strap end has a mid-green patina which is abraded.
It measures 26.67mm in length, 10.92mm in width and weighs 1.7g.
The strap end can be classified as a Thomas's Class A: Type 2: which dates to the 9th century, but also probably occur in the late 8th and 10th centuries. Similar examples are WAW-3077D5 and WAW-D099C5. The rivet hole and considerable wear and abrasion of the strap end, may suggest it was re-used at some point.
Thomas, G. 2003 'Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age Strap Ends 750-1100: Part I' Finds Research GroupAD700-1700 Datasheet 32.
Class: Thomas Class A, Type 2
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 775
Date to: Circa AD 1000
Quantity: 1
Length: 26.67 mm
Width: 10.92 mm
Weight: 1.7 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 20th October 2016 - Thursday 20th October 2016
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: SO6742
Four figure Latitude: 52.07537197
Four figure longitude: -2.48290496
1:25K map: SO6742
1:10K map: SO64SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.