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LOT 1382
Saxon and Roman Iron Military Spur Display
CIRCA 2ND-10TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/4 in. (254 grams total, 82-83 mm).
Comprising a Roman U-shaped spur with lateral lugs and prick spur; an Anglo-Saxon iron spur with barley twist body and small terminals. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968.
PublishedBailey, G., Detector Finds 5 Witham, 2002, p.32, fig.1, for the Saxon spur.
LiteratureCf. De Shortt, H., ‘A provincial Roman spur from Longstock, Hants, and other spurs from Roman Britain,’ in The Antiquaries Journal, volume 39 issue 12, Cambridge, 1959, pp.61-76, fig.22 (Hod Hill) and 25 (Hadrian’s Wall), for similar Roman spurs.
FootnotesThe Romans employed a light spur (calcar) made of bronze or iron, U-shaped and barely covering the heel. To the rear of the spur was a small point, and this form continued to be in use through the early Medieval period. The Saxon spurs were very similar to the Roman examples, although slightly larger and with a more spiked point.
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