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Details
LOT 0089
Roman Silver Crossbow Brooch with Dedicatory Inscription
4TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/8 in. (19.5 grams, 62 mm).
Featuring rounded knops to the head, the bow with a dedicatory inscription in Latin letters 'VTER FELIX IURE VICTO'.
Provenance
Acquire in the 1990s.
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
Literature
Cf. Shelton, K.J., The Esquiline Treasure, London, 1981, fig.50, for a very similar brooch.
Footnotes
The dedicatory inscription 'VTERE FELIX', 'use it with good luck' or 'with happiness' is often found on Roman military artefacts, like belt fittings, brooches, and armlets; but it is rarely accompanied by 'IURE VICTO' inscription ([being the] rightful winner). The inscription is typical of the late Roman military world, but it can also refer to people using the brooch in civil duties, these fibulae being ordinarily gifted to the militia armata and non armata.
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LOT 0089
Roman Silver Crossbow Brooch with Dedicatory Inscription
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
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