MEDIEVAL STEELYARD WEIGHT

1272

Large complete cast copper alloy globular steelyard weight with lead infil. 13th Century AD. 70mm tall, from the base to the top of the suspension loop. The base is 55mm in diameter it its widest, apering up towards a flat top 20mm in diameter. Two grooves run around the top. The suspension loop is 27mm high and 7mm thick. The central hole is 5mm in diameter and has been worn slightly at the top, giving it an oval appearance. Three sheilds have been etched into the body of the weight. The sheilds are flat topped and the design is very stylistic, given the difficulties of etching into cast bronze. One shield depicts a single lion rampant, the coat arms of Edmund, Earl of Cornwall. The second depicts three lions passant, which is the coat of arms of England. The third shield depicts the double-headed eagle, the arms of the Hansa merchants. Katie Hinds states: "Steelyard weights would have been made by Edmund on behalf of the king. Edmund died in 1300 and the use of steelyards banned in 1350, so this weight is likely to date between 1272 and 1300/1350. Copies of steelyard weights were also made. The originals tended to have a frieze...and three or four shields usually depicting the arms mentioned above. Copies often had shields with incised decoration, and not relief, and often had unrecognisable or fictional arms". The fourth sheild mentioned by Katie would have been the chevrons of de Clare, as Edmund married Margaret de Clare in 1272. This particular globular weight was therefore a copy of an origional mass produced legal weight.