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BUTTON
Unique ID: SOM-A81B4E
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A Post-Medieval copper alloy button, probably dating to c. AD 1600-1700. The button is circular in plan with a convex front and concave back. The front of the button is decorated with a floral design of incised lines and punched annulets. The decoration depicts a central cluster of four annulets arranged into a quatrefoil, with a smaller annulet at their centre. Six incised lentoid petals project from the centre, the space between being cross-hatched and with a further quatrefoil of smaller annulets in the centre. The button has a circumferencial border of punched annulets, broken by the petals. Relatively extensive white-metal coating survives.
A central integral rectangular shank projects from the reverse, with a circular drilled perforation. Traces of an iron link remain within the shank.
Dimensions: diameter 27.3mm; thickness 10.0mm; weight 9.87g.
Read (2005: 39-45) illustrates a large number of extremely similar buttons, all with convex fronts, concave back and integral drilled shanks. They have a range of incised and punched decoration, mostly floral or geometric; although none are identical. Read (ibid:36) suggests they were fashionable in the mid to late 17th century and may have been used in pairs as cloak fasteners as well as buttons.
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 1700
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight: 9.87 g
Diameter: 27.3 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 30th September 2017 - Saturday 14th October 2017
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: SCC receipt: 019497
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Iron
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: White metal coated
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Somerset (County)
District: South Somerset (District)
Parish or ward: West and Middle Chinnock (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: ST4613
Four figure Latitude: 50.91392524
Four figure longitude: -2.76949709
1:25K map: ST4613
1:10K map: ST41SE
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read, B. | 2005 | Metal Buttons c. 900 BC - c. AD 1700 | Langport | Portcullis Publishing |
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Timeline of associated dates
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