The Portable Antiquities Scheme
POST MEDIEVAL TOY
1700
Copper alloyPossible Toy. Whirligig or miniature spinning top. Cast disc with central perforation of diameter 2.9mm punched from one side. The other side bears a dot-punched design of a six-armed spiral radiating from the central hole. It is suggested that a matchstick-sized spindle was inserted in the hole, allowing the object to be spun between finger and thumb on a flat surface. The spiral design was perhaps picked out in paint (now lost) to enhance an optical illusion of movement. Suggested date: Post-Medieval to Modern, 1700-1900.Diameter: 20.6mm, Thickness: 1.1mm, Weight: 1.40gms.
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