File:Sf3664 (FindID 18202).jpg

English: Small copper-alloy pommel, probably from a sword but possibly from a seax (a small single-edged sword or large hunting knife). The base of the pommel is curved and it has five curved lobes, increasing in height towards the centre. The central lobe has a sub-circular perforation with a collar around. On one face this collar is incomplete. It could have been made like this, or the collar could have been broken and the break worn smooth. On the same face, the centre of the base has a small area missing (much fresher break). The hole in the central lobe is presumably to allow the tang to pass through before hammering it down to fix the grip and pommel in place. There are no rivets on the pommel, or other means of attachment; presumably the pommel was fixed merely by the hammering down of the tang, and there was no pommel bar. Late early-medieval sword pommels were last thoroughly studied by Petersen in 1919, and this one doesn't fit very neatly into his classification; it could belong to any date from the 9th to the 11th century, but is perhaps most likely (on advice of Leslie Webster, British Museum) to be late 10th or early 11th century. Length 50 mm, height 24 mm, thickness 14 mm.