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Summary

A number of copper alloy ingot fragments of Late Bronze Age date and likely European mainland origin.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FINDSPOT (Late Bronze Age - 1000 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Crew, P. + Quinnell, H., 2022, A Hoard of Iron Currency Bars from Coffinswell, South Devon, 49-54 (Article in Serial). SDV365464.

A number of copper alloy ingot fragments found by metal detector survey in the adjacent field to the iron currency bar hoard (MDV55731). Fifteen analyses, each of a presumed separate fragment, were carried out in the early 1990s. The current location of the fragments is not known.
Electron probe microanalysis indicated all 15 samples were of unalloyed copper, with most having sulphur values between 1.0% and 2.5%. Nine have arsenic contents above 0.1%, but all are below 1%. All other impurities are at low levels, which indicates that the likely source of the copper is the European mainland. These compositional characteristics apply to a large majority of the Late Bronze Age copper ingots from Britain and the Channel Islands that have been analysed. The geometry of the Coffinswell fragments also fits the Late Bronze Age.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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