EARLY MEDIEVAL PIN

800

Head and socket from a composite pin of middle to late Anglo-Saxon date, probably 9th century. The head is in the shape of a cube with the corners cut off to produce a faceted shape; all of the faces visible in the photograph (two lozengiform side faces, two upper triangular faces, and the just-visible lower triangular and upper lozengiform faces) appear to have engraved decoration. On other examples of this type the engraving is inlaid with niello. There is a substantial collar beneath the head, and then a slightly flaring circular-section socket with a circular hole passing right through both sides near the open end.This object finds many parallels on the PAS database. Pins with polyhedral heads (cubes with the corners cut off) and socketed shafts include SF6553, KENT-5D4C95, CAM-D49EC6, SWYOR-B1FFB4 and CAM-F0DC51. Still to be added to the database are Treasure cases 2004T380, 2003T49 and 2001T34. These are all of silver; the single example in copper alloy on the PAS database is LIN-C71A35, which is rather different in form. Also compare FAHG-1C5728, from the same group of finds.