gold coins have occurred at Silchester. An aureus of Valens is in Mr. Barton's cabinet. One of Arcadius was found in 1791, and is figured Gent. Mag., June, 1792, p. 529. A rare aureus of Allectus, and one of Valentinian, have also been found.

We do not find in Mr. Barton's interesting little museum any ancient relics formed of the precious metals, such as the curious gold ring, found in ploughing at Silchester in 1785, bearing an antique head, inscribed VENVS, and the words SENICIANE VIVAS IINDE (sic) Archæol., viii., p. 449. Objects of such intrinsic value are rare, but he is in possession of several fibulæ, armlets, and other ornaments of bronze of various kinds. By Mr. D. Maclauchlan's kindness, we are enabled to give representations of a few of them. They comprise a bronze stylus, and a ligula or probe, similar to that figured in Mr. Lee's representation of Roman relics from Caerleon, in this Journal (ante, p. 160). Also a bronze key, adjusted so as to be worn as a finger-ring; a variety of the clavis Laconica. Such rings have repeatedly been found on Roman sites. Van Rymsdyk has given one, found at Verulam, in his "Museum Britannicum," tab. vii.; and a good specimen, disinterred at Chesterford in 1847, is in the Hon. Richard Neville's Museum at Audley End. Another may be seen figured in the "Museum Kircherianum," tab. liv. The accompanying woodcuts represent a fibula of unusually slender fashion, a small bell, a curious little object in the form of an axe (securicula), possibly a child's toy, and a singular relic, like a miniature gridiron, with three diminutive projections, or feet on one side; it appears to have been adjusted to a handle, of wood possibly, or bone, but its use has not been ascertained. All these are of bronze, and the representations are of the same size as the originals. It may deserve notice that the

double axe occurs amongst the various crepundia attached to a band worn over the shoulder on a statue in the Museo Pio Clementino, as shown by Mr. Rich in his useful "Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary," p. 214. This is in accordance with the observation of Plautus,-" Porro crepundia solebant esse annuli, ensiculi, securiculæ, maniculæ, bullæ, siculæ," &c. There are also in Mr. Barton's cabinet miniature figures of a lion, a wolf, (?) and an eagle with its wings displayed; the last measuring about two inches in length. An eagle, described as of steel, was dug up at Silchester about 1788, and exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries. (Archæol., ix., p. 370.) It was supposed to have been a military ensign.

Amongst the relics of which Mr. D. Maclauchlan has kindly communicated sketches, must also be noticed the base of a column (diam. and height 22 in., diam. of base-mouldings 28 in.), a fragment of a shaft (height 45 in., diam. 14 in.), and the upper portion of a capital, with bold foliated ornaments, but much defaced. Its greatest width, at top, measures 3 ft. 5 in. This is probably the same fragment "of the Corinthian order" noticed by Dr. Beeke in 1804 (Archæol., vol. xv., p. 184), and it is interesting as the indication that some architectural monument, of no ordinary importance, existed at Calleva.

A. W.

REMARKS ON ONE OF THE GREAT SEALS OF EDWARD THE THIRD, HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED.

BY THE REV. W. H. GUNNER, M.A.

THE reign of Edward III. is a period of great importance, both in an historical, and artistic point of view, as regards the annals of the great seal of England. It is historically important because some of the principal events in the French wars of that monarch were followed by an alteration in the design of his great seal. On this point we refer our readers to the very able and lucid notice of the great seals of England, and especially those of Edward III., by the learned Professor Willis, in the Second Vol. of this Journal. It is there stated that Edward III., at various periods of his reign,