Loading, please wait...
LOT 1272
Bronze Age Pancake Ingot Fragment Group
2ND-1ST MILLENNIUM B.C.
1 1/8 - 2 1/4 in. (556 grams total, 28-58 mm).
Comprising four pieces of copper 'bun' ingot, two showing characteristic edge cross-section. [4, No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK gallery, early 2000s.
FootnotesThese bun ingots were cast in shallow saucer depressions cut into rock where the copper ore was mined and smelted; they were then carried and traded across Europe before being broken up, melted down and having tin added to form bronze alloy; fragments such as these are frequently found as part of smith's hoards of, usually, worn out tools, weapons and raw material from the Late Bronze Age.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
'The Stainmore' Bronze Age Flat Axe with Exceptional Crystalline Patina
2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Composed of a fan-shaped head with bevelled face and convex cutting edge, flanges creating two elliptical side faces. 424 grams, 15.5 cm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Stainmore, Cumbria, UK, in 2012. Ex private U.K. collection. -
Bronze Age Rapier or Short Sword Blade
11th-9th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
With ogival sides, a raised mid-rib and lozenge-shaped shoulders, remains of the tang with a hole for the insertion of the fastening rivet. 223 grams, 31.5 cm
Acquired in the late 19th century. Ex private collection, Liverpool, UK. Helios Gallery Antiquities, Wiltshire, UK. Private collection, Preston, UK. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Helios Gallery no.H3163r.
The top of the sword is missing, and the shape of the blade resembles that of swords of the late European Bronze Age, but the particular shape of the central groove of the blade, which forms a three-quarter median rib before tapering towards the point, could lead one to believe that the sword was of the antennal type with median rib, like the sword from Central Italy preserved in the Calvet Museum, Avignon. -
European Bronze Age Leaf-Shaped Spearhead
Circa 1st millennium B.C.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
With leaf-shaped oval blade, thick short midrib, short shaft with fastening holes and circumferential ring for the opening. 242 grams, 23.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
This type of lanceolate spearhead is very common across the Balkans and the Carpathian basin. It originates from Hungary or possibly the Czech Republic.