Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
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Unique ID: WAW-536FCD
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
Probable Medieval (12th to 15th centuries) badge: The lead alloy badge is incomplete, missing the pin on the reverse. The badge depicts a probable swan or dragon from the side view, its long neck bends downwards in front of the body, one wing is partially open, and it is stood on a branch. The swan is within a circular, D-sectioned frame which has four lis knops, equi-distant. The right-hand edge of the badge is bent forwards.
The reverse of the badge has a horizontal casting seam across the centre. One terminal of the casting seam has a broken protrusion which is intepreted as being a trace of the pin.
The surface of the badge is slightly abraded and is a mid-grey colour and has traces of a shiny white metal alloy coating
The badge measures 21.26mm wide, 21.65mm long, 4.12mm thick at the pin edge and weighs 3.37g.
This is possibly a Medieval livery or pilgrim badge. If it is a swan being depicted the swan may be a pilgrim badge possibly for St. Martin, a similar swan, with a down turned neck is in the British Museum collection No. 1871,0714.72. If it is a livery badge, the Houses of Lancaster and the Prince of Wales both have a swan as an emblem, but not in this style, see British Museum collection No. 1904,0720.19 and 1856,0701.2145 are examples.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1500
Quantity: 1
Length: 21.65 mm
Width: 21.26 mm
Thickness: 4.12 mm
Weight: 3.37 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 1st January 2012 - Friday 31st October 2014
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Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
4 Figure: SP3000
Four figure Latitude: 51.69795012
Four figure longitude: -1.56733069
1:25K map: SP3000
1:10K map: SP30SW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.