Find Spot record MAB49609 - BRECHIN

Approximate findspot of a hoard of five circular silver brooches and coins.

Approximate findspot of a hoard of five circular silver brooches and coins. Three of the brooches are inscribed. They were found in 1891 'in a garden at Brechin, with a quantity of coins of the Edwards'.(Edward I and Edward II (possibly)). The first three of the brooches are talismanic, having inscriptions. The first brooch is a circular flat ring brooch, the ring being rectangular in section, complete with pin. It is 4.37 cm in diameter. On the face it has the inscription 'IHESVS NAZAVRIOR', on the back are eight letters followed by 'IHESVS NVS', with traces of niello visible in the letters. The pin is of flattened oval section with projecting collar with horizontal groove. The second brooch is circular, flat and of plano-convex section. It has the inscription '+ IHESVS NAZ[AREN]VS REX IVDEORVM +' (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews) on the face. It is 4.92 cm in diameter. The pin is of flattened oval section and oval collar and it has worn away 'AREN' from the inscription. The third brooch is octagonal, with its sides alternately flat and ridged. It is 5.87 cm in diameter and is complete with pin. The inscriptions on both front and back read 'OX XI HESV SNAZA VIXER' (Rex Iv[deorum] reversed) and 'RMES IAEV MSD IAN'. The pin is flat and thick, has chamfered corners, and the collar projects and has a horizontal groove. The fourth brooch is a wire ring brooch, originally with four knops and four rosettes attached. Only two and a half knops survive of this decoration. The pin is circular in section and its collar has been removed. It is 5.72 cm in diameter. The fifth brooch is fragmentary, less than half of the brooch survives with the pin. It is a wire ring brooch with oval section and a prominent oval collar. It would have been 3.49 cm in diameter when complete. The front of the ring has oblique and transverse grooves, probably once filled with niello. No details of the coins are preserved, but the brooches are in the RMS (NG 158-162).

PSAS, 1891, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 25, 417 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10455.

Callander, J G, 1924, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 58, Nos.1, 14, 17, 25, 35 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11797.

Thompson, J D A, 1956, [Untitled], No.56 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10268.

Metcalf, D M, 1977, Brit Archaeol Rep Brit Ser 45, 33, No.63 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6958.

GOURLAY, R, 1977c, HISTORIC BRECHIN, 10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2586.

Record last edited

Jan 3 2024 5:37PM