File:Early medieval silver strap ends 3 and 4 (FindID 766051).jpg

English: 4 silver or silver plated early medieval strap ends. The objects are probably identical in decoration and form and have a convex sided rectangular shaped body and cross section. Each has a stylised squared animal head terminal with two rounded projections forming the lower corners. These contain side facing circular depressions representing their snouts. Above this are two incised chevrons sitting below an incised triangular motif. Flanking this are rounded incised ears, with a chevron motif within. Above the head each strap end has a sub-rectangular panel filled with decoration picked out in silver and niello. Although this is partly obscured, each appears identical, probably a backwards facing animal or similar. Forming the panel's border is an incised line, flanked by a series of transverse notches running to the edge of the object. The upper edge of the panel has a concave incised border and above this, each object has traces of an incised tri-lobed motif, though each varies in size and competence. They all have split upper ends, with each plate bifurcating into a double lobed upper edge. Each one has two intact solid silver domed rivets, but each is slightly different in size and position. One strap end (far right No.4 as shown) is damaged on one side near the rivets and shows a probable solid silver composition, whilst another (check which) appears to have a copper alloy plate inserted between two ?silver outer sections.

They match Trewhiddle type A1, and have been dated to the mid to late 9th Century by Dr Gabor Thomas. They constitute the first set of four strap ends recorded with the PAS. They are similar in style and composition to the Poppleton hoard of two sets of four, found in Yorkshire in the early 1990's. As such they belong to the Northumbrian metalworking tradition.

Similar silver strap ends found individually include <a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/109499" title="View details for KENT-A58993">KENT-A58993</a><a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/506743" title="View details for LVPL-5EAC05">LVPL-5EAC05</a><a href="https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/391868" title="View details for NMS-FE0C90">NMS-FE0C90</a>

measurements left to right as shown

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No	length	width	thick.	wgt
1	37	14	2.5	4.93
2	37	14	2.5	5.54
3	35	14	3	5.79
4	37	14	3	5.79