PREVIEW: ANCIENT COINS AND ANTIQUITIES 20 JUNE

One of the most notable finds of recent years, the circa AD 600 Billesdon Anglo-Saxon gold sword pommel cap takes pride of place in this auction.

It was found by a metal detectorist at Billesdon, Leicestershire, in 2021 and disclaimed as treasure after being registered with the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

 

Measuring 4 x 1.5 x 1.8cm, and weighing 20.42g, the cocked hat form with beaded wire filigree ornamentation includes a side panel with two dragons or beasts facing each other with their heads and front paws both touching. Such confronting beasts are found as a motif on the rim of a shield from the Sutton Hoo ship burial.

As can be seen from the image here, the neck and body of each beast here is curved with five lines of beaded wire, the back and front legs are of three lines, each with four toes. The mouth is long with a raised snout and the eyes are triangular and upright.

The opposite side panel is composed of three strands beaded wire interlaced in a zoomorphic or snakelike pattern categorised as style II by E. Salin in his work Die altgermanische Thierornamentik (1904), which assessed the Dark Ages art styles of northern Europe during the late 5th, 6th and 7th centuries.

The heads and tails are looped at the top. On the surviving end are 12 bands of curving beaded wire alternating in a herringbone pattern; above are two holes for attachment to the hilt. The apex is plain but the shoulders are decorated with beaded wire strands, again in a herringbone pattern.

The underside contains the remains of an internal copper casing.

W. Menghin’s 1983 study of sword pommels described these as type Beckum-Vallstenarum, dating them to circa AD 600. They have been found in Germany and France and in the UK, with the recent Staffordshire hoard being the largest number.

Apart from some wear to the high parts and one end has broken away, this is in about very fine condition and is estimated at £15,000-18,000.

Other Anglo-Saxon highlights include a mid-late 6th century gilt-bronze square-headed brooch, originally found in County Durham.

The rectangular headplate has chip carved decoration with central face mask with prominent circular eyes enclosed by a raised border with punched dots. The field around is filled with debased zoomorphic elements incorporating lentoid eyes.

The arched bow has three ribs, the central one with a small central disc.

The extended footplate has a raised mid-rib with punched dots, and the field is richly decorated with running scroll work divided by dotted borders. It also features semi-circular side lobes and a discoid terminal lobe, the shoulders with animal heads.

“Square headed brooches are the most impressive of the Anglo-Saxon bow brooches with elaborate chip carved decoration and richly gilded,” says Noonans’ Artefact specialist Nigel Mills. “They were worn by women as a status symbol in rural societies.”

Measuring 13.6 x 6.2cm and complete, it is almost extremely fine with most of the gilding remaining and comes with a guide of £4,000-6,000.

An early 1st century AD Celtic La Tene bronze enamelled oval-crescentic terret ring provides another highlight. Measuring 7.7 x 6cm, it expands around the apex with a red enamelled field enclosing a continuous swirling petal motif containing yellow enamelled circular cells. These end in trumpet collars which enclose a slim notched attachment bar.

“Terret rings were attached to the horse-drawn chariot yoke allowing the reins to pass through,” said Nigel Mills. “Red and yellow enamel when used together are considered to be earlier than the blue, green and orange colours used during the early Roman occupation.”

Found at Little Wilbraham (Cambridgeshire), on 1 July 2023 and record with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, it comes to auction in good fine condition with a green patina, and yellow enamel largely intact, but only small areas of red remaining. The estimate is £1,500-2,000.