George V Silver Coin Pin Brooch

Painted on a wooden board, at the centre the Holy Empress of Georgia, Tamara the Great, shown on the left, dressed in rich blue, white and red clothing with pearls around her neck and wearing a crown; on the right, Saint Valerian dressed in an emerald green robe and red cloak, holding a crozier, with a highly ornate gilt background. 269 grams, 17.8 x 14.4 cm



Acquired from Derby Antiques Fair, 2003. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985. Accompanied by a copy of a Russian export licence.

D-section hoop with oval cartouche flanked by elongated mouldings with pointed ends; cartouche with a skull, the mouldings on each side decorated with double rows of incised cross hatching; inscription on the internal surface with a maker's mark reading: 'Death calls man falls, prepare L..D.' followed by the maker's mark, a heater shield with indistinct liner design. 1.95 grams, 18.94 mm overall, 16.39 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K 1/2, USA 5 1/2, Europe 10.58, Japan 10)



Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Lewes, West Sussex, UK, on Wednesday, 9th October 2024. Declared as treasure under the Treasure Act with reference no.2024T1242, subsequently disclaimed and returned to the finder. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.SUSS-1D0CDB.

See examples with similar style script and moulded skulls flanked with cross-hatched mouldings on the PAS website :SF-223B48 (2021T585) dated to 1697; DEV-200F91 (2019T823) with black niello inlay surviving dating 1676; LON-A96750 (2010T192) also with niello inlay dating 1703/4 and DUR-4FC118 (2015T249) dating 1673.

Round enkolpion with finely worked icons both on the front and back, and eight small side eyelets for lost pearl ropes on the edge; at the top, a double eyelet for the chain; bordered by a delicate beaded edge with a slight knock in one place due to age; embossed depictions on both sides, finely rendered in repoussé; on the obverse a frontal bust portrait of the deceased Saviour, both arms of Christ limply hanging at his sides, the lifeless head resting on his right shoulder, behind him a nimbus and the cross, to the left of the soma (body of Christ) the abbreviation 'IC' (= Jesus), on the right 'XC' (= Christus), above the head a plaque with a Greek two-line inscription: 'O Basilevs tis doxis Christos' (Christ, the King of Glory); the Virgin Mary (Theotokos) depicted on the back, her hands raised in a gesture of prayer (orans) with exquisitely modelled facial features, flanked by an inscription referring to the Mother of God: the abbreviation 'MP' on the left, 'THY' on the right, furthermore, she is invoked as 'He Gorgoepikoo' (She who is quick to hear). 21.3 grams, 44 mm



Acquired by the previous owner on the European art market in the late 1990s. Property of a German university professor. Hermann Historica, Auction 87, 2020 no.19. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13291-254371.

Adorned with an icon of Christ and the Virgin Mary, this outstanding enkolpion symbolises purity of heart and the seal of confession and faith. Since the Byzantine era, golden enkolpia were pontifical insignia and usually worn by bishops. In this case, the size, the artistic craftsmanship, and the topics of the icons, depictions of Christ and the Theotokos, lead to the conclusion that it must have been the enkolpion of a high-ranking primate or archbishop. Extremely rare in this size and quality. Remarkable is also the artist's choice to depict the Mother of God slightly turned to the right and not show her frontally, as is common.