File:Fragment of a purse bar - purse frame (FindID 508885).jpg

A damaged arm of a cast copper alloy purse bar or purse frame dating from the early post-medieval period, circa AD 1550-1650.

The remains of the purse bar include the damaged rotating circular loop and one damaged/incomplete downward pointing arm which would have formed the upper part of the flat frame. The suspension loop/mount (seperate) and other wing are missing. The front face of the surviving arm displays cast floral decoration. The reverse face is undecorated. Abrasion, caused by movement whilst within the plough soil, has resulted in a loss of some of the original decoration. Other examples as illustrated by Williams (2018) show foliate or cast developed lettering as decoration. The detail on this example is unclear. The purse bar fragment has an even dark green coloured patina.

The flat angled arms of this purse bar fragment are consistent with Williams (2018) Class K purse bar, consistent with Late 16th to Early 17th Century dating. This purse bar variant is one of several previously unrecognised by those originally classified by Ward-Perkins in his Medieval catalogue of the Museum of London, published in 1940.There are several examples recorded on the PAS database including: WMID-265DD3, which was discovered in Staffordshire, SUR-4E8851 discovered in Northamptonshire also has similar cast foliate decoration. A complete example with an oval loop handle is recorded from Buckinghamshire (BUC-82D836) and Worcestershire (WMID-45BF3E).

Williams, D. (2018) Copper Alloy Purse Bars and Frames. A new classification using finds from England and Wales recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.