Beschreibung:

The 'Horncastle' Gold Yorkist Hat Jewel 1460-1685 AD A gold hat jewel with a facetted amethyst in a pierced yellow gold mount with dentilled plaque to the reverse and twisted wire rim with four peripheral loops; the jewel symbolising the 'sun in splendour' (the personal emblem of King Edward IV), with three chain drops below (originally mounted with pearls). 5.24 grams, 36mm (1 1/2"). Fine condition. An excessively rare and important treasure find. Provenance Found by Lisa Grace near Horncastle, Lincolnshire, UK, while metal detecting on 1st June 2013; declared a treasure under the Treasure Act (officially valued at £6,000.00) and disclaimed with reference number 2013 T466; accompanied by a copy of a letter from the British Museum disclaiming the Crown’s interest; a copy of the Portable antiquities Scheme report number DENO-65C775; a copy of a magazine article titled Lincolnshire’s Lost Jewel, by Helen Cox in Lincolnshire Life, April 2014, p.116-118; and a copy of the relevant pages in the PAS publication 50 Finds from Hampshire, 2017 detailing the find. Published Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme under reference DENO-65C775. Literature Disclaimed under the Treasure Act, reference number 2013 T466. Footnotes On 2nd February 1461, the houses of York and Lancaster fought at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire. As dawn broke, three suns appeared in the morning sky. This was a rare meteorological phenomenon called a parhelion caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere. Edward, the Earl of March, told his men this was a sign from God representing the Holy Trinity and was proof that God would lead them to victory. The Yorkists were victorious that day and Edward was proclaimed king a month later, after which he adopted the "Sunne in Splendour" as his personal emblem. The fact that the "Sunne in Splendour" features as the central motif in this extremely rare, high-status hat jewel suggests that it belonged to a courtier from the House of York. This remarkable piece of medieval jewellery may be compared to a roundel pendant from the Fishpool hoard and it is strikingly similar to a hat jewel worn by Henry VII, the son-in-law of Edward IV, in a portrait in the collection of the Musée Calvet, France. During the medieval period amethysts were worn into battle, because it was believed that they protected the wearer from harm. The colour of the stone also has royal connotations. The British Royal Sceptre, first used for the Coronation of James II (1633-1701) is adorned with an amethyst terminal surmounted by a cross. Testing of the jewel indicates a gold content of 72.4% by the X-ray fluorescence analysis.