File:Dowel found in association with chariot lynch pin (FindID 182592).jpg

English: Iron Age chariot fitting; Chariot lynch pin with cast copper alloy loop terminal and remains of iron pin bar. Also found in association with a long, copper alloy dowel which seems to fit through the lynch pin. Dated to the early 1st century AD

The main piece of the lynch pin has a broad, iron shaft which is quite corroded but which seems to be roughly circular in cross section. This shaft ends at a broad, domed, copper alloy terminal which has a narrow circular hole passing right through it. The terminal ends in a loop, running parallel to the hole mentioned above. The loop is formed of a sturdy bar of copper alloy, with a circular cross section, which narrows towards the apex and flares out at both ends where it meets the rest of the lynch pin terminal. The only decoration is an incised line around both ends of the loop. The iron shaft is broken off and the terminal piece from the other end of the pin is missing. The dowel found in association with the main lynch pin is of copper alloy and has a similar patina to the terminal of the lynch pin. It has a circular cross section and has been flattened at one end, as if hammered. The other end is broken off and the dowel has been bent near the break.

Main piece – length 100.5mm, width (across terminal loop) 36.4mm, thickness (terminal loop) 7.1mm, width (iron pin) 16.4mm, thickness (iron pin) 15.1mm, diameter (hole) 6.8mm, weight 99.3g. Dowel – length 99.5mm, diameter 6.3mm, weight 16.06g.

For some examples of lynch pins see Mills, pages 31 & 32, artefacts C51 and C52. The illustrated lynch pins are similar to this example, although they have terminal heads of different types. (see below for full reference details)