Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

With highly decorative openwork border of Style I ornament to the headplate formed as a rectangular median plate with lateral wings, enhanced with punched-pellet detail to the sides and top edge of each; raised central square panel with incised rosette; to the middle of each edge a Style I human mask in plan, formed as a T-shaped brow-and-nasal with two pellet eyes, with pairs of Style I profile bird-heads with curved beaks; the bow deep with facetting at each end; the footplate rectangular with Style I lappets; transverse collar above a finial Style I human mask with complex beard below; pin-lugs and scar for catchplate to reverse. 52 grams, 12.3 cm



Found Seaham, Co Durham, UK. Property of a Durham private collector.

The florid cruciform brooch presents a headplate as a rectangle above the bow, with wings visible to either side. The top and side-knobs show stylised human faces with prominent eyes. The decoration is in style 1. The finial also has the prominent eyes found on the headplate surrounds, with the nose formed by an extension of the footplate and curly moustaches forming at the same time as the part of the flanking animals.

Trapezoidal type with saw-cut teeth to each long edge, one group coarse and the other fine. 14.95 grams, 71 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Substantial ring with keeled hoop, pointille decoration on the shoulders, hexagonal bezel with stylised animal with elongated neck and long tail. 6.76 grams, 25.06 mm overall, 21.66 x 19.80 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V, USA 10 1/2, Europe 23.77, Japan 22)



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

From Norwegian ragstone or black sandstone with mica schist, tongue-shaped in plan with rounded ends, pierced near upper edge; usage wear. 68.5 grams, 78 mm



Found near Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, UK. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.LIN-5DB46A.

Formed as a single square-section wire twisted about its own length with one looped end and one hooked. 4.9 grams, 49 mm



From the private collection of the late collection of Mr M., Waterlooville, Hampshire, UK, formed from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

Deep bow with lateral flanges, pinlugs and catchplate on the reverse. 10.6 grams, 43 mm



Found North Yorkshire, UK.

Comprising a flat-section hoop widening at the shoulders, a rectangular bezel with two standing figures, one with his arm raised. 4.25 grams, 22.51 mm overall, 17.37 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

With a narrow frame, pin mounted at the apex. 0.48 grams, 15.7 mm



Found Billingsgate spoil from the Thames foreshore, London, UK, circa 1984. Ex property of an Essex collector.

With a D-shaped buckle frame with a narrowed and offset bar, moulded knops decorated with a series of covering raised pellets at each end of the bar; a D-section pin fitted around the bar by an open loop, with a raised circumferential collar present at the junction of the loop and shaft of the pin. 1.93 grams, 14 mm



Found by Jason Ashley whilst searching with a metal detector near Overton, Hambleton, North Yorkshire, UK, in 2025. Accompanied by a copy of the Report for H M Coroner on find of Potential Treasure with Treasure reference no.2025T1065. Accompanied by a copy of a letter from the British Museum disclaiming the Crown's interest in the find. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.YORYM-EF238A.

With a wide hoop and an oval bezel with an eight-petalled flower on a pointillé-decorated field. 5.92 grams, 21.49 mm overall, 19.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.

Rectangular-section equal-arm cross with integral pierced lug above. 5.78 grams, 29 mm



Found Brigstock, Northamptonshire, UK. Recorded with UKDFD no.53488.

Discoid type depicting a bearded face within a raised border of annulets, each with a pellet at its centre; integrally cast pin to reverse. 2.97 grams, 20 mm



Found Alford, Lincolnshire, UK. Recorded with UKDFD no.49065.

The badge possibly represents the head of John the Baptist on a platter, but an alternative interpretation is that it depicts the face of Christ in a form known as the 'Vernicle' or 'Veronica', which arises from the legend that the face of Christ was miraculously impressed on the handkerchief or veil that Saint Veronica gave to him to wipe his face on the way to Calvary. In support of the case for this interpretation, Spencer illustrates another circular badge of generally similar type (No. 254c), but with a border inscribed with the first line of a popular 14th-century prayer composed in honour of the Vernicle. In support of the case for the John the Baptist interpretation, some very similar badges depict a rather dishevelled head with a sharply couped neck.