UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT

A sheet silver unidentified object of unknown date probably Medieval to Modern, about AD 1200 - 1950. The object is incomplete and is in four pieces; one main piece, two long strips and one small piece.

The main piece is circular but folded at an acute angle along a curved line, making both faces elliptical. It was probably originally a cone or dome which has been distorted. The edge is incomplete, but has what appears to be a second layer in some places, perhaps originally forming a flange to attach the foil to a larger object, or to form a backplate. It is not obvious where the detached pieces would have joined, if they did join.

The foil has at least two concentric bands round the outer edge. The middle is filled with rocker arm decoration and stamped ring and dot motifs in a seemingly random pattern. The detached strips seem to have more of the border lines, and may be part of the second layer of foil.

The main piece of foil is 31.8mm long, 19.1mm wide and 16.8mm thick as it is currently bent. 1.12g. The sheet is 0.3mm thick. One strip is 36.4mm long, 4.1mm wide and 0.4mm thick. 0.21g. It is curved. The other is 24.1mm long, 5.6mm wide and 0.3mm thick. 0.11g. It is also curved and seems to have one long original edge. The small fragment is 5mm square and 0.1mm thick. It is too light to register on the scales.

The use of rocker arm decoration probably suggests a date from the 13th century onwards. However, rocker arm is also found on 18th and 19th century thimbles, for example. Ring and dot motifs are also a very long-lived decorative technique. It is therefore impossible to be certain that this object is older than AD 1719. Given that no similar objects can be identified either, there is a lack of evidence to suggest a date or function. For these reasons, it does not meet the requirements of the 1996 Treasure Act and remains undiagnostic. It could be a decorative foil from a larger object such as a dress accessory or button, or perhaps the top of a cane or riding crop. Compare the very similar NMS-8001AD.