SOM-1C838A: Post Medieval toy gun

Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
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TOY

Unique ID: SOM-1C838A

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation Find awaiting validation

A copper alloy toy musket of Post-Medieval date (AD 1600 - 1640). The barrel is hexagonal in external cross section with three small facets on the top, angled sides and a slightly convex lower side. The upper side of the barrel is decorated with opposing wavey lines of punched annulets and two pairs of transverse grooves half way down. There is a circular bore and the muzzle has internal threading. At the junction between the barrel and the stock is an open circular pan. There is a raised area on the barrel next to it, perhaps suggesting the firing mechanism or wedge. There is a slight ridge at the breach. The stock narrows away from the junction with the barrel and on the underside is an angled rectangular trigger loop. At the lower end it flares out again into a expanded stock which curves out even wider at the butt into a 'fishtail' form. The stock is decorated on both faces with ring and dot motifs, four on one side, five on the other, which is the side with no firing hole.

The gun is 75.3mm long, 31.1mm wide and 7.6mm thick; it weighs 16.78g.

Forsyth and Egan (2005, 88-104) illustrate a range of toy guns, this example is most similar to Type 2 which they date to 1600-1640

Class: musket

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1640

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 75.3 mm
Width: 31.1 mm
Thickness: 7.6 mm
Weight: 16.78 g

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

Other reference: SCC receipt 17366

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Complete

Spatial metadata

Region: South West (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Somerset (County)
District: South Somerset (District)
To be known as: Bruton

Spatial coordinates


Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land

References cited

Author Publication Year Title Publication Place Publisher Pages Reference
Forsyth, H. with Egan, G. 2005 Toys, Trifles and Trinkets: Base Metal Miniatures from London 1200 to 1800 London Unicorn Press Ltd

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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: SOM
Created: 6 years ago
Updated: 6 years ago

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