hair-pin
- Museum number
- 2007,8045.45
- Description
-
Copper alloy hair pin, broken at pointed end; flattened spherical knob head, triple moulded cordon below.
- Dimensions
-
Length: 96 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- 'Ad fines' is a fictional provenance which derives from the itineraries of the spurious de Situ Britanniae of Richard of Cirencester, a forgery which deceived experts in the mid-18th century and which was only exposed as such in the later 19th century. The findspot can be associated with the Roman site of Braughing, Herts., and it is highly likely that finds annotated 'Ad fines' come from Braughing. (after Rivet & Smith, the Place-names of Roman Britain, 182-4).
- Location
- On display (G1/fc6)
- Acquisition date
- 2007
- Acquisition notes
- London Agent Carlo Milano. The box was sold by Christie's on behalf of Richard Allen, in whose family the box had been handed down for several generations. Two items are signed 'WA', which refers to William Allen (1808-1897), brother of Stafford Allen and the principal collector of the material in the box. There is also a reference to 'E R Allen' who is Edward Ransome Allen (1841-1916) and his son George Stafford Allen (1871-1941). Edward was Stafford's son and therefore William's nephew.
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 2007,8045.45