14th century AD. A silver strap end, triangular in plan and hollow with attachment pin to the wider end, raised border with Old French text in Lombardic script: 'CVNFORTE ALFAVSCERTAINE MOR[--]L FINAMAVNT SVI' (In the end I am strengthened/comforted in the face of death); Malcolm Jones, Sheffield University, Dept. English Language & Linguistics, Senior Lecturer 1994-2009 and advisor to the British Museum and Portable Antiquities Scheme, says: 'Apart from a small damaged portion (2 or perhaps 3 letters missing) this relatively lengthy inscription is complete -- but puzzling. The first problem is that we do not know where it begins, and – secondly -- while the reading ALFAVS is certainly correct, no such word is known. If we begin reading with the broader end positioned vertically: MOR[--]L FINAMAVNT SVI CVNFORTE ALFAVS CERTAINE. There are very few Anglo-French words that conform to the pattern MOR ---L (with no more than 2 or 3 letters missing) -- one such is mortal; another is morsel, which can mean a ‘small part’ and could thus refer to the strap-end itself. SVI is ambiguous and could potentially mean either ‘I am’ [mod.Fr. suis], or ‘follows’ [mod.Fr. suit]. ALFAVS is probably a mistake which requires emendation… With such a degree of uncertainty, various interpretations are possible. The whole could be read as an address to the wearer, the mortal who owned the strap to which this terminal was applied, in which case we could have the ultimately comforting, (Mortal, at last follows comfort, ---- certain.).' See Egan, G. & Pritchard, F. Dress Accessories 1150-1450, London, 2002 for discussion. 2.92 grams, 48mm (2"). Property of a gentleman; acquired in the 1970s. Fine condition. Rare.