File:Late Iron Age copper alloy vase-headed linch pin (FindID 607466).jpg

English: Late Iron Age copper alloy linch-pin of Vase-headed type and probably of 1st century AD date The linch-pin is fragmentary, represented by the copper alloy head, missing the iron shank and mouth (with a surviving length 21.3mm of and a weight of 27.2g). The terminal is sub-circular (with a diameter of 25.6mm - 27.7mm) and the face is gently convex. There is a rim border (2.4mm wide and 1.5mm deep) around the face enclosing a central raised triskele. The terminals of each of the triskele arms are expanded and the outside part of the arms abuts the border. There is an incised border, now barely discernible on the triskele surface near each side of the arms, which is likely to have defined a tricone at the centre but does not now survive. There is no trace of enamel surviving within the recessed areas, although there is the suggestion of hatching, possibly intended as a key for an inlay. Below the terminal the head is circular and waisted (with a minimum diameter of 16.3mm). The underside of the face has better surface preservation and displays a series of concave facets and fine hatched lines, possibly resulting from pinching of a wax mould or possibly remnants of hatched decoration. The base of the head is damaged but two damaged arcs, opposite each other may represent the tops of the attachment holes (5mm diameter and 17mm from the face). The interior is hollow (with a maximum surviving internal diameter of 21mm and a maximum thickness of 2.6mm) and contains a black deposit on the rear of the face, possibly remnants of casting material. There is no surviving evidence of iron corrosion on the interior of the socket. The surface is heavily corroded with remnants of a thick black patina and the suggestions of surface tin enrichment evident on the pale to mid-green corrosion. The fragmentary nature of the terminal, together with a lack of iron corrosion from the shank make the identification uncertain, however the surviving terminal form is consistent with Late Iron Age linch-pin styles. Vase-headed linch-pins have a comparatively long currency from the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD and are understood to be a British innovation (Macdonald, 2000, p 48) , with a largely Southern-British distribution. The triskele style of this example may be seen as somewhat devolved with its expanded arm terminals and suggest a date towards the end of the range. The suggested decorative hatched detail on the underside of the face may be paralleled on a linch-pin from Norfolk, recorded through PAS . In Wales a linch-pin of similar form but with an undecorated face was recorded from Llyn Cerrig Bach, Anglesey (Savory, 1976, fig. 13) .