English: A complete cast copper alloy Roman military phalera (horse harness) mount dating to the third century AD. The phalera is circular in plan, with some post-depositional damage and has an openwork design, depicting a trio of double Celtic 'trumpet' or lotus blossom-like motifs within an outer border which has a pair of central, lightly grooved circumferential lines within an outer lip. The fixing hole is at the centre of the piece and has been worn to an ovoid, from perhaps an original circular hole. The reverse of the phalera is flat, plain and undecorated. The phalera is slightly bent but is otherwise in excellent condition, with a mid-green patina on a slightly coarse surface.

A very similar phalera mount is illustrated in Bishop & Coulston (2006:191 fig.124/3), which also displays the trumpet / lotus blossom-like motifs within a circular frame. The illustrated example was found at the Roman fort at Zugmantel, Germany (ibid. 190) and is dated to the third century AD, when phalera mounts of this form became more common. A similar mount from Dormagen, Germany can be seen in 'Celts, Art and Identity' [ed Farley, J and Hunter, F. British Museum 2015 p 160-161]. An example from Buckinghamshire that exhibit the same mofis is recorded on this database (BUC-384F77).