English: Roman, 3rd century, copper alloy spoked disc brooch. The brooch is circular in plan, and is made from three separate, cast, components; A back plate, collar and boss. The back plate is decorated around its damaged outside edge with a border of impressed semicircles with a raised central point, much like a petal. The pattern would have run around the entire edge of the brooch when pristine. To the inner edge of this decorative border is a small, plain, raised rib.

Within the centre of the plate is a central boss, conical in shape with the remains of a terminal knob. This boss has a shaft that passes through the third component of the brooch, a collar that surrounds the boss, and fixes it to the back plate. There is evidence of the end of the shaft on the underside of the brooch in the form of a raised circle. Radiating from the collar are five spokes, oval in plan, all damaged to their top faces. Between the spokes are slight, raised dots. The collar may well have turned around the boss at some point, but the components are now ‘welded’ together by corrosion.

The original surface of the brooch is abraded. What little remains of the original surface is dark green in patina, otherwise the majority of the brooch shows a light green exposed surface. There are tiny traces of gilding.

To the reverse of the brooch is the damaged pin bar lug. There are patches of orangey brown corrosion around the lug, which may be the remains of the pin. The catchplate is missing, and all that remains is a scar where it once was. The reverse of the brooch is also abraded with exposed light green surfaces, but patches of white metal coating, either silver or tin, can be seen, which is consistent with this brooch type.

Damaged edges are worn smooth, suggesting that damage occurred in antiquity. The brooch has a diameter of 23.84mm, is 8.58mm thick and weighs 11.57g.

Roman brooches of this type are generally uncommon, though more are coming to light as a consequence of this database. This is only the second brooch of this type recorded here for Essex. See Hattatt, 1985, Iron Age and Roman Brooches, figure 63, number 548 for a close parallel. Hattatt suggests that they are few in numbers perhaps because of the expensive and complicated manufacture.