265 (34)

237

Mounłs

two examples catalogued here suggest that spangles were still in use, if not necessarily manufactured, in the late 13th century, and perhaps up to the early 14th-century (nos. 1280 and 1281). Although the large number of spangles from Billingsgate came from materiał removed from the site and dumped, there was a great ąuantity of coins up to 1351 from the same source, with a particular emphasis on the Edwardian sterling phase of 1279-1351. Many of the spangles may have been contemporaneous with this group of coinage. The possibility should be considered that spangles may have continued in use up to the middle of the 14th century. No development in the style of the designs is detect-able over this late 12th-century to early 14th-century period, and the differences in the ąuality of execution, choice of design, decoration and size appear to have been concurrent.

It is difficult to accept that these tiny objects would have been very effective as badges of authorisation (Mitchiner and Skinner 1983, 38). They would hardly have been very conspicuous when wom and the ranges of symbols with which they are decorated, far from having any official character, appear to be a random selection of popular and attractive images. It is also fanciful to suggest, as Forgeais has, that they bear specific heraldic significance. Their similarity to leaden tokens of the 13th and 14th centuries, is, how-ever, obvious and it is understandable that dis-cussions about their function should have pro-ceeded along numismatic lines. But this inter-pretation is over-specific and the comparison should be broadened to take account of lead-tin items with a wider rangę of functions (for exam-ple, pilgrim badges, spoons, finger rings and brooches), with all of which spangles share simi-larities in style of decoration. In particular, the medium was in demand for the production of cheap jewellery and, in the absence of firm indications of any further significance, it is best to regard them as no morę than a widely available adomment of a particular shape. The origin of their form is mysterious and no improvement on Forgeais’ conjecture will be madę here.

1282 1283 151 Spangles (1:1)

1281