Late Roman Iron Latch Key

Silver-plated military button bearing the legend 'ROYAL HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS' around a crown; loop to reverse. 2.18 grams, 17 mm



Found Waltham St. Lawrence, Windsor and Maidenhead, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.BERK-0A5A9A.

From the PAS Report: 'Similar recorded examples have 'I. Nutting' backmark (without '& Son') which indicates a manufacture date of c.1794-1802 ('& Son' being added in 1803, dropped again c1820 when the father died).' The story of the unit is difficult to determine. 'The Volunteer & Militia lists for 1794,1796, 1797, 1799, 1800 & 1801 have all been checked and no unit of this title is listed. Also the Parliamentary Return for December 9th & 13th, 1803 which lists many units that didn't make it into the April 1804 War Office List have been searched, again no such unit is listed. There were a few infantry volunteer regiments raised c1780-1783 as so many of the regular regiments were fighting in the War of American Independence, 'Royal Lancasters Volunteers' was one such that is listed, but there is no mention of one for Hampshire.'

Comprising tanged arrowheads, four with large elongated triangular blades and raised midrib, sharp central groove, three with barbed shoulders and cylindrical stem with handle for the shaft; three with barbed shoulders and convex on sides, one elongated triangular type with barbed shoulders and flat socket, one with trilobate blade and another with short tang and barbed blade with raised midrib. 305 grams total, 6.5-13.6 cm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.

These arrowheads seem to belong to the type V, subcategory types A, B, C and D according to the classification of Khorasani and Negahban. In the four categories of triangular bronze arrowheads from Luristan, Marlik, and Northern Iran, individuated by Negahban, subtypes C and D of type V are larger arrow or javelin heads, C with barbed shoulders and D with round shoulders. Most of them were cast in moulds.

A two-edged leaf-shaped blade and square-section tapering tang, on one side inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform text: 'Eulmaš-šākin-šumi'; and the other side inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform text: 'É-ul-maš-GAR-MU'; reading (property) 'Of Eulmash-shakin-shumi, king of the world'; there are now seventeen known examples compared to fourteen known in 1968. 9.37 grams, 66 mm



UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13145-248307.

King Eulmash-shakin-shumi was the founder of the 6th Dynasty of Babylon, named the Bῑt-Bazi Dynasty after the Kassite tribal group from which its leaders were drawn. They were possibly situated near the juncture of the Diyala River and the Tigris River. There are discrepancies in the information surviving about his reign; whilst the Dynastic Chronicle states that he ruled for fourteen years, the King List A suggests a rule of seventeen years. The events leading to the king's rise to power unfolded in the context of the chaotic close of the Second Sealand Dynasty, and in the midst of the turmoil inflicted by the famine-induced Aramean migrations. During this period, Eulmaš-šākin-šumi appears to have seized the throne and possibly moved his capital to Kar-Marduk, a hitherto unknown location, and easily defensible. Upon his death, King Eulmash-shakin-shumi was buried in the Palace of Kar-Marduk, the dynastic capital. A 9th century stele relating to temple endowments at Sippar relates that the king restored food offerings to Shamash, and entrusted a garden plot in a part of Babylon known as the 'New City' to the then high priest there. The weapons unearthed with inscriptions such as the one offered here were likely votive, as opposed to military pieces.