English Medieval Heraldic Chessman Type Tax Collector's Seal Matrix for Customs Duty on Cloth

A mixed group of silver artefacts mainly comprising of fragmentary fittings, mounts, clasps and jewellery elements, including: a buckle; engraved ring bezel, floral belt hook, openwork belt fittings, possible filigree button face and others. 54.6 grams total, 9-50 mm



Essex gallery, early 2000s.

A silver-gilt fede ring composed of a flat-section hoop with expanded bottom section and quatrefoil bezel; the hoop engraved with alternating vertical and horizontal hatched panels with expanded central section crudely engraved with clasped hands; bezel engraved with a cross embellished with cross-hatching in each quarter of the field. 2.69 grams, 24.69 mm overall, 22.78 mm internal diameter (approximate size British X, USA 11 1/2, Europe 26.23, Japan 25)



Found near Brookland, Kent, UK, 2007. Property of a Kent gentleman. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no. KENT-299A33. Accompanied by a copy of two letters from the British Museum and report for HM Coroner for Treasure case T493. Accompanied by a valuation letter and another from Peter D Spencer. Accompanied by a provisional treasure valuation for the Treasure Valuation Committee.

The quatrefoil bezel is in the form of a truelove (paris quadrifolia) as the plant was called in Middle English. Two fifteenth-century wills include the bequest of rings in the shape of a truelove: in 1407 an anulum argenti operatum cum uno trewlove [silver ring fashioned with a truelove] and in 1464, unum anulum argenti et deauratum cum uno trew lofe [a silver and silver-gilt ring with a truelove] On seals the device is most often accompanied by the legend LEL AMI AVET [you have a true love] confirming its identification with faithful love, and on a matrix recently unearthed [PAS database SWYOR-B7EDA9] the characteristic four veined leaves are surrounded by the posy, IS SVI FLVRE/ DE FINN AMVVR [I am the flower of perfect love].

A mixed group including a bronze hand bell, shoe buckles, furnace slag, furniture fittings and other items. 790 grams total, 1.4-10.1 cm

Fair condition.

Found by John Harrison whilst searching with a metal detector in Lancashire or Cumbria, UK.