Roman 'Essex' Bronze Cockerel Brooch

Formed as a tablet-shaped stamp (signaculum), with raised border above and below containing an inscription in Latin in reverse over two lines, reading: 'Q[UINTI] POM [PONII] CRE [SCONII} ? / OCTAVIAN[I]' possibly translating to: 'Of Quintus Pomponius Cresconius Octavianus', this latter being the owner; with a large loop to verso. 92 grams, 64 mm



From an old private collection formed before 1985. Accompanied by a copy of a previous dealer's certificate of authenticity including provenance.

Used to stamp documents and a broad range of different materials and food, signacula came into use in the Roman res publica during the 2nd century B.C., becoming both popular and widely used in many areas of everyday life during the Imperial period. These signacula were not exclusively used in the sphere of economy and property administration, but also in public and private sphere, determining the identity of their owners. The bronze stamp - also definable as a tessera, like the wooden one - was an instrumentum vicarium (auxiliary tool) of the annulus signatorius (seal ring), but compared to the annulus, it was much stronger and more practical, capable of leaving a better recognisable imprint. By analogy, the press note of a wooden or terracotta stamp also had an important certifying function, but the object that produced it only lasted a limited time, while the signaculum ex aere (bronze stamp) lasted a lifetime.

Hollow-formed with inset banded agate cabochon, intaglio standing Fortuna. 2.22 grams, 21.90 mm overall, 15.21 mm internal diameter (approximate size British E 1/2, USA 2 1/2, Europe 3, Japan 3)



Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private Swiss collection since 1998. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11619-199018.

Comprising eleven fragments with low-relief decoration, one larger fragment with a leaping quadruped facing back, and the bottom of a platter stamped with maker's mark 'IA[ ]ICIM'. 185 grams total, 3-11.2 cm



Acquired from a private collector in 2004. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.