NHER 32125 (Find Spot record) - Roman strap/bridle mount

September 1996. Metal detector find.
Roman strap or bridle mount. Very unusual. At one end circular with equal-armed cross (each arm with fine median grooves) and two similarly grooved 'S' shapes in counter-relief, all three sharing a common centre and surrounded by a circular groove and two circles of small punched dots; central part heart-shaped; other end a slightly tapering D-section 'arm' projecting from apex of heart ends in a rounded swelling with faint transverse groove, giving a phallic appearance. Traces of dark ?enamel surviving between 'S' shapes and cross in circular end, behind which an integral loop projects on reverse.
Polaroid (S1) taken by NCM.
Seen by A. Rogerson and D. Gurney (NLA) and J. Davies (NCM) and W. Milligan (NCM).
Identified by H. Geake (NCM).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 22 November 1996.

At first thought by NLA/NCM to be either Roman or post medieval, this object has now been definitely dated as Roman by the British Museum (PRomanA).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 3 December 1996.