Very Thick Brass/Copper Chunky Ring - Never seen one like this before

[BioProfessor]

Greeting again from the Netherlands. The potato crop is starting to come out and I'm getting back to some places that have given up some nice medieval finds. I braved the rain today to hunt a freshly harvested part of a field. Found the normal stuff - coin from the 1600's, clothes fasteners, lead bale seals, musket balls, etc. and then this popped out of the ground.

I've dug a lot of rings (mostly horse tack) in a lot of places but nothing like this. It is solid and came out of the ground just like this. My best guess is that it is brass. There is no green bronze disease so I'm pretty sure it is not bronze.

I've looked at what is called "Ring Money" and all the examples I can find that are this thick and big are made by bending a rod into a circle. This one was not bent and there is little evidence of a sprue of a size needed to cast something of this size. So I'm stumped.

Any help, guidance, or similar finds would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Daryl

 

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[Silver Searcher]

Daryl....sometimes Bronze comes out looking like that, you say it's solid strange.

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

Yep, solid as a rock. Heavy!

I know the soil has a lot to do with the color and condition so it could be bronze. I'm just saying that I see no corrosion and nothing green at all. So for now, I guess we can say it is a shiny yellow metal that is not gold.

I've heard back from several people that I thought would recognize it and they said they have never seen one like it. I did find something similar in the UK but it was hollow.

So it's strange all right. Just like the field it came from.

Thanks for the help.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

Yep, solid as a rock. Heavy!

I know the soil has a lot to do with the color and condition so it could be bronze. I'm just saying that I see no corrosion and nothing green at all. So for now, I guess we can say it is a shiny yellow metal that is not gold.

I've heard back from several people that I thought would recognize it and they said they have never seen one like it. I did find something similar in the UK but it was hollow.

So it's strange all right. Just like the field it came from.

Thanks for the help.

Daryl

It almost looks like a terminal from a Torc....but as you know these are Gold

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

My thought too. Now if gold EVER came out this color, I'd be doing some testing.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

My thought too. Now if gold EVER came out this color, I'd be doing some testing.

Daryl

Was there something attached to the left side in the picture, I have never heard of a Gold plated Torc with a Bronze core but that does'nt mean it can't be one

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

The "Lines" on the left side were put there intentionally. I don't know if they were cast in or put there after but they form sort of a "W" where something could have been placed in the grooves and would not slip out.

Just a guess though.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

Found this...Similar

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

I would say it was. What about size?

Place to start for sure.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

I would say it was. What about size?

Place to start for sure.

Daryl

Here's the link Daryl...it's a Bronze rein ring, but there are no dimentions Oop's there is...75mm

http://antiquity.ac.uk/reviews/megaw323.html

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

This one is 30mm dead on. I guess it could be a rein ring but it shows no signs of wear.

The groves are also interesting. They were put there for something.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

This one is 30mm dead on. I guess it could be a rein ring but it shows no signs of wear.

The groves are also interesting. They were put there for something.

Daryl

The one I posted Daryl shows no wear marks :P but it doe's look like a Rein Guide, the grooves are strange

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

Yeah but you would think a rein guide would have some way to attach it to something. And why waste so much metal on a rein guide? So thick just to keep reins in line? The one SS posted is very ornamental and fancy so using a lot of metal is of little concern. Not sure if they would have wasted that much metal on just a simple rein guide.

Weird. Interesting but weird.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

Yeah but you would think a rein guide would have some way to attach it to something. And why waste so much metal on a rein guide? So thick just to keep reins in line? Not sure if they would have wasted that much metal.

Weird. Interesting but weird.

Daryl

The one I posted was 75mm, they were decrotive Items as well, attached to chariots, so big and bold was the norm

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

OK, I'll buy that. But what the heck was a chariot doing in Alkmaar, The Netherlands

We hardly have any Roman coins anywhere even close to the northern part of the Netherlands. I've found Roman coins way south but not here. Some say the Romans didn't even come this far north. Now it is even more weird.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

OK, I'll buy that. But what the heck was a chariot doing in Alkmaar, The Netherlands

We hardly have any Roman coins anywhere even close to the northern part of the Netherlands. I've found Roman coins way south but not here. Some say the Romans didn't even come this far north. Now it is even more weird.

Daryl

The Celts were all over Europe Daryl, and so were the Romans...but yes his Sat Nav was a bit out

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

Yes, that I know but the Netherlands I was told was a special case for the Romans. There was not that much dry land back then in many parts of the Netherlands - especially in the north. A lot of the land here now has been reclaimed in the past 3-400 years. They didn't venture too far into the "swamps" and as they say here "they didn't like getting their feet wet." There just wasn't that many large chunks of dry land that long ago.

So if this is what we are thinking it is, the thinking about the region may have to change. Hopefully somebody that knows more about the Roman/Celt occupation of the Netherlands will chime in.

Daryl

 

[Silver Searcher]

Yes, that I know but the Netherlands I was told was a special case for the Romans. There was not that much dry land back then in many parts of the Netherlands - especially in the north. A lot of the land here now has been reclaimed in the past 3-400 years. They didn't venture too far into the "swamps" and as they say here "they didn't like getting their feet wet." There just wasn't that many large chunks of dry land that long ago.

So if this is what we are thinking it is, the thinking about the region may have to change. Hopefully somebody that knows more about the Roman/Celt occupation of the Netherlands will chime in.

Daryl

I know the Romans in Germania(Germany) built trackways through the marsh land, aided by the Cheruski tribe(Celts) whom they were freindly with......well before they slaughtered 50000 Romans that is

SS

 

[BioProfessor]

I was talking to a person in a village a bit southeast of Amsterdam who is a history buff. He said that you can draw a line down through The Netherlands and the Romans were east of that line. Germany, Belgium, France, etc. are all east of that line but the part of the Netherlands that was close to the sea just wasn't of much interest. Maybe you are right. His compass was a little off or he was just a bit daft and went west.

This is getting more interesting with each post.

Daryl

 

[Breezie]

I'm wondering if it could be a ring handle on a small pot and the 2 ridges are where/how it was connected? Interesting find, Breezie