File:A Medieval to Modern large iron heraldic mount with integral rivets (FindID 887759).jpg

English: A large iron mount with three spearate iron rivets/nails. This flat-topped sheild shaped mount weighs 1.8kg. The mount has a maximum height of 180.0mm and maximum width of 163.0mm.

The front is slightly convex and decorated with a heraldic motif in relief which consists of a single central equal-armed cross. The cross has trefoil terminals at the end of each arm. A scallop shell motif is present at the centre of each trefoil terminal. A single slightly raised circle fills the central crossing point of the cross's arms. This has a diameter of 21.8mm. A hound's head left, as viewed, is present at the upper left and lower right of the shield between the arms of the cross. In technical terminology this would be described as: "Between two talbot's heads couped in dexter chief and sinister base a cross bottony the end of each limb charged with an escallop and the centre with an annulet".

The artefact has a maximum thickness of 13.6mm increasing to 18.6mm over the moulded relief decoration.

The reverse surface is flat and undecorated. A vertical line of three rivets project out of the reverse surface on the median-line. The first (length 15.6mm) is positioned c.51.4mm below the top edge of the sheild. The second rivet (length 12.2mm) is positioned c.32.4mm below the first, and the third (length 18.3mm) is positioned 27.1mm above the central tip of the base of the shield. The rivets have an irregular shape with cross-sections veering from sub-circular to sub-rectangular. The rivets have an approximate diameter ranging between 10.1mm to 7.5mm close to the mount and taper to a blunt pointed minimum diameter of 2.3mm.

From the reverse surface these iron projections appear to be integral to the sheild-shaped mount. However, close inspection of the front of the mount reveals that these projections are infact separate. A single flat topped circular rivet head, with a diameter of 16.7mm can be seen laying, flush with or just proud of the surface of the mount, on the vertical arm of the cross either side of the centre point. A third, flat topped circular, rivet head, of 17.9mm diameter, is present directly below the lower cross terminal. This rivet head is sunk slightly below the upper surface of the mount, the rivet hole measuring a diameter of 18.50mm. Each of the heads have a single drive slot across the centre of the head. The drive slots have width of 1.2mm.

Although the description above refers to 'rivets' and 'rivet heads' these three fixing points may alternatively be screws or bolts. The presence of drive slots on the heads suggests that the projections on the reverse would originally have been threaded. No evidence of any thread survives on the projections, which appear in their current state possibly hand made. This is most probably the result of corrosion and loss of the external surface of the three projections.

The Richmond Herald, College of Arms, have (to date) been unable to identify the heraldry. They suspect that this is an unofficial one-off produced "for decorative purposes and therefore difficult to ascribe". Although the date could possibly range from the Medieval to Modern period, it is likely to be a Modern production. Many thanks to the Richmond Herald for their help with researching this item.