File:Harness pendant (front) (FindID 548777).jpg

English: Cast copper alloy shield-shaped horse harness pendant with double-headed eagle displayed in relief on the front face with traces of green enamel on the wing and tail feathers and red enamel on the legs. The eagle has two heads and outstretched wings with three vertical feathers on each and raised elbow joints on either side of the heads. The wings are attached to a central rectangular torso and the legs and claws extend obliquely from the bottom of the torso to the edge of the pendant. Between the legs is a single vertical stem which then fans out into four tail feathers, just above the pointed terminal of the shield. The closest parallel to this heraldic device, in the form of a coat of arms, is that of the Godolphin family with a double-headed eagle displayed in the same pose, with their seat at Godolphin House, Breage from the 15th century, which is not far from the findspot. The surface may have originally been gilded, and the beaks may have also been red, but no evidence of this remains. The heraldry might therefore be described as 'Or, an eagle displayed vert, beaked and membered gules'. The pendant is missing its suspension loop and an area of the top edge of the shield which would have attached to it, leaving a semi-circular recess. The shield shape of the pendant is classified as Type I by Ward Perkins in the 1940, 'London Museum Medieval Catalogue' on page 118, Fig.38, and a similar double-headed eagle is illustrated in Plate XVIII, No.A12016, which is dated from the 14th century.

Pascoe (1979) illustrates a similar coat of arms for the Godolphin family on page 69.

Murawski (2000) illustrates a harness pendant with an outstretched eagle on page 188, No.M08-0121, which is dated from the Medieval period.

Similar harness pendants with heraldic eagles can be seen on the database: <a title="View details for SF-EF2521" href="http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/523397">SF-EF2521</a>, BH-671C73, GLO-F38F38, WAW-9FB700, HESH-A95E65, YORK-99C3E1 and WMID-8E41D2, which are generally dated from the 14th century.