Detectorist finds world's unique, 2,000-year-old Roman brooch in the shape of a horse

The so-called Leasingham horse-shaped copper alloy brooch is quite unique in the archaeological record. It was discovered with his metal detector by Mr Jason Price in a field near Leasingham in the summer of 2019. There is no other of its kind. Although it has not been declared a treasure, it has now been acquired for the collection of Lincoln Museum.

On Wednesday 11 May, the unique Roman brooch was unveiled to the public on the Great British History Hunters programme. The copper alloy brooch, in the form of a three-dimensional horse, dates from AD 43-41. It is a very realistic representation with meticulous detail. The brooch is complete, including the original hinged pin, which is itself very rare.

The stylized horse head with elongated neck bears 14 engraved grooves representing a neatly trimmed mane. A saddle or saddle blanket is placed on the horse's back. The model is made in a style that has no comparison in other archaeological collections. The nearest comparable object is a brooch from the British Museum, but it is very different in concept and execution.

"It was the last field of the search weekend and it was roughly ploughed - so I didn't really expect to find anything. You can imagine my surprise when my detector started beeping. About 20cm deep I found something covered in mud. At first I thought it was a piece of rubbish, but when I cleaned it off, my chin fell off - a horse brooch. I was shaking. I've found some interesting things like coins, but never anything like this. Absolutely amazing," Jason Price shared his impressions of the find.

Because the jewel is not made of precious metal, this unique 2,000-year-old artifact has not been declared a treasure. The finder was therefore left with the brooch and could dispose of it as he wished. Fortunately, Mr. Price loaned the brooch to the Lincoln Museum of Art Collection, which later purchased the brooch from the finder for permanent display thanks to the support of the Friends of the Lincoln Museum and Art Gallery.

"The brooch is an incredibly rare find in Britain and the first three-dimensional horse brooch to ever recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) finds database," said Dawn Heywood, the museum's director of collections development. She added: "This style of horse brooch has now been identified as a 'Leasingham type', so we are privileged to have had the opportunity to acquire the first artefact of its kind for the museum's collection."

"I am delighted that this rare and unique find remains in Lincolnshire where it can tell thethe story of our county's rich history," added Executive Councillor for Cultural Services Mr Lindsey Cawrey. "We are grateful to the Friends of the Museum and Art Gallery who last year celebrated 50 years of working together. This beautiful horse brooch is another valuable example of this invaluable support."

Roman Němec

Sources: lincolnshire.gov.uk, lincolnshireworld.com, bbc.com