File:Post Medieval Medallion (FindID 229395-193685).jpg

English: Cast lead alloy medallion or medal of probable late post medieval date or early modern date (post 1558 - 1850). The medallion is circular in plan with a raised outer border. The medal has been slightly twisted and distorted and the detail decoration on the front face has been removed through a combination of corrosion and abrasion. The reverse is relatively flat and plain although decorative detail may have been lost. A small oval hole has been pierced in the upper section of the medal (2.2mm x 1.8mm) presumably to either suspend or fix to another object. The hole is not original and has been applied after manufacture. The medallion measures 65.8mm length, 59.8mm width, is a maximum of 5.5mm thick and weighs 104.25 grams. The front face of the medallion is decorated with a cast design, it is contained within a raised border which encloses the edge of the medal and was probably originally decorated with a series of lentoid cast projects which would have resembled a rope pattern. Within the border is a depiction of the bust of Elizabeth I. She is seated holding a sceptre (in left hand) and orb (in right). The sceptre pierces the edge of the potential inscription. She is clothed wearing an ornate bodice and large ruff which frames her lower face. Her head is crowned (and it is above her head that the medal has been pierced). Around the edge of the bust (between it and the outer border) is a small area which may have held an inscription. It is difficult to tell if this is present due to the distortion and corrosion. If an inscription is present it is likely to be incomplete and possible scratched on rather than cast. The reverse is relatively plain and flat. It also has similar corrosion products and abrasion present on the obverse which may mask further decorative designs. The medal is a mid grey colour with areas of white active lead corrosion. It also has a series of concreted corrosion products which are similar to those found on artefacts associated with loss in open water. The front face also has a mottled orange colour and this is likely to be due to contact with iron objects in the burial environment. The overall design is comparable to that on a series of historic medals associated with Elizabeth I, specifically that of the 'Dangers Averted' medal issued after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The bust of this example is very similar to that on the gold medal, attributed to the painter and goldsmith Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619). However in the gold example the reverse depicts a bay tree (believed to be a protection from storms) on an island representing Britain, with ships in the distance. The obverse face of the Hilliard Medal has the inscription DITIO IN TOTO NON ALTER CIRCVLV ORB. This lead example although similar in design to the Hilliard may not date from the post medieval period and may in fact be a copy which highlights the greatness of England against all, similar medals were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially associated around the era of the Napoleonic Wars. A direct parallel of a lead example has not been found and so certainty of dating cannot be confirmed.