PILGRIM BADGE

A cast copper alloy badge depicting St. George and the dragon of late Medieval - Early Post-Medieval date, this badge depicts St. George holding a sword (the tip lost to an old break) above his head with his right hands while leaning down slightly and with his other hand using a shield to force open the dragon's open mouth. The shield is elaborately shaped and decorated with a St George cross. The dragon is on its back underneath St. George's feet, with feet in the air, tail curling back to St Georges leg and a stub of its wing below its back. St. George appears to be dressed in probable 15th century costume, wearing armour, witht he shoulder paudrons particularly visible. The back of the badge is flat with a D-shaped lug protruding from the back pierced by a drilled circular hole. Extensive remains of gilding survive on the front and back.

The piece is 45.1mm long, 23.9mm wide, 3.8 mm thick excluding the lug, 7.8mm including and weighs 7.32g.

Two examples of medieval pilgrim badges depicting St. George are illustrated in Spencer (1990: 52 & 83, Figs 148-9). Both these examples depict St. George attacking the dragon below his feet, but the saint uses a spear and the badges are attached to a tapering, tubular plume-holder. WMID-FB76D0, from Staffordshire, on this database appears to be identical to this example. Spencer (1998:186): "The growing importance of St George as a symbol of English nationalism and military prowess is attested [...] by the many badges produced during the 15th and the early 16th century".

The form of ornate shield on this example is sometimes called a 'renaissance' shield and suggests a date of c.AD 1475-1540. Edwin Wood has commented: The armour worn by St George here is 15th-early 16th century in date, He has what appears to be a one piece breast plate, articulated arms and legs and a mail skirt, visible between the tassets on his thighs. The fact he has articulated plate arms and not a mail shirt on that I can see pushes it later into the 15th century. I would suggest that the style is that of around AD.1450-1520, without more detail it is hard to say more. His hair style is certainly 15th century rather than 16th i would argue. Combined with the Renaissance shield which is stated as 1475-1540, I would suggest it dates to 1475-1500 really. Any later and his armour would be of the fluted maximillian type or fully articulated and so lacking the mail skirt.