File:Medieval lead alloy pilgrims badge (FindID 577124).jpg

English: A medieval lead alloy pilgrims souvenier of St John of Amiens. The souvenier in the form of a flat disc with a raised design. In the centre of the design is a large circle enclosing the slightly domed molded face of St John, held up by a figure with curled hair in a male style, presumably a priest. He appears to be wearing a necklace and his clothes are cross-hatched. His hands appear either side of the face, which symbolises the Baptists head on a platter. Either side of the central figure are two more figures shown in profile facing the centre. They have curly hair and hold out tall thin candles. The upper half of the background is undecorated but the lower half has alternate vertical bands of cross-hatching and of a lattice with raised dots. The design is enclosed by a raised line and an inscription of raised lettering. There is some edge damage and some of the inscription is obscuers as a result. It appears to read 'ECC:SINGNVM:FACIEI:BEATI:IOH[ANN]IS:BAPTISTE' or roughly translated as 'Here is the sign of the blessed St John the Baptist' The reverse of the object although slightly bent is undecorated and flat except for a central circular depression with a raised pellet in the middle. There are no loops for sewing this onto a garment that are uaually seen on pilgrim badges but the fragmentation of the edges may have removed the evidence.

Spencer (Pilgrim Souvenirs and Secular Badges, London 1998 p 218-221) illustrates a similar early 14th century badge excavated in London. He discusses the development of the veneration of the head of John the Baptist at Amiens and the various badges showing platters displaying heads.There is a possible example of a badge from this shrine, found in Norfolk, on this database <a title="View details for NMS-98B222" href="http://database/artefacts/record/id/255724">NMS-98B222</a> but it is a different style. A number of these badges can be found in the British Museum collections, courtesy of Lloyd de Beer, Project Curator: Medieval collections(pers comm) 1855,0625.10, 1921,0216.72, 1921,0216.73, 1855,0625.11, 1855,0625.9, OA.4651 & 1992,0103.2.