File:225 Roman Colchester brooch reverse (FindID 72386).jpg

English: Colchester Brooch

Roman, mid 1st century 

Length 39mm, width 31mm, thickness 5mm 



Copper alloy Colchester type bow brooch with separate spring attachment mechanism.  Concave wings (9mm long, 5.5mm high, 1mm thick) with single vertical groove at either end.  Lug in the centre of the wings, which continues up to the top of the head of the brooch, has two holes, on above the other, the lower hole is for a bar that holds the spring in position, the other hole is to support the spring.  Central ridge running down the length of the bow, this ridge is beaded.  The sides at the head of the bow are expanded and serrated.  The bow narrows from the top of the head, to a point at the foot.  

Solid catch plate in the reverse, the copper alloy spring (which consists of fourteen curls) and is complete. 



The brooch is in excellent condition, the spring has a mid-light green patina, although most of its original surface still remains.  The brooch has a dark green patina with a slightly pitted surface, with almost the whole of the original surface present.  Marks of manufacture are visible around the catch plate and the other edge comprising of linear lines where the artefact was cleaned or where it was filed down in the case of the serrated sides. 

Similar examples have been found at Alchester, which was dated to 50-65 AD (Booth & Evans, 2001, 71) and Colchester which was dated to about 50-70 AD (Crummy, 1983, 11-12).