A potin? and a bit of old something to I.D.....

[Littleboot]

Hi folks....I would welcome a bit of input to I.D. these things....Like many I have a pile of metal bits I haven't sorted properly...(several in fact )....and it seemed like a good time to get on with it.
Both of the finds come from the huge back field (which is now open for arable but was clearly a patchwork of small fields and dwellings up until the last 100 years)....which I have featured before. It was my first permission in France and has been, and continues to be, very good to me. Through the middle of it is an ancient ridgeway which was ploughed out less that 100 years ago. Very little modern stuff and everything from Celtic to early 20th century appears (though the 10th to 12th century is missing)....
The larger item was found on the trace of the ridgeway about 40 yards from where I have found a Merovingien equal-armed brooch (ring and dot decoration) and a badly abraded shroud hook of the same period. I haven't found anything similar to this in terms of decoration.
The 'coin' would seem to me to be a potin. But I haven't found one before so want confirmation before I settle on that.....it was found about 25 yards away from where I found a stater a couple of years ago.
The 'potin' is about 1 cm in diameter. The larger item has traces of silvering.

[figgis]

Part of a composite strap end, perhaps? No idea really but it's an interesting little piece that, Jan

[HolzHammer]

What a lovely piece of decoration....

[Ladybird66]

Hiya Jan

Just been looking at the above. My first thought about the piece with the hole was part of a small container, pattern looks vaguely Celtic !?
The Potin ? I’ve att. a link to an interesting page you might like. I thought I’d found one ages ago but it turned out to be a Bronze Age Unit. It does look very similar with the raised bits but mine was definitely bronze and bigger in diameter. I was also told that Potins always had a pattern on both sides.
Makes me think, maybe yours is a token of some sort.

https://mrbcoins.com/introtopotinsofgaul.html

[Littleboot]

That is brilliant Val, it does have a pattern on both sides....once side looks like a stylised head and the other side is a figure of some kind.
The pattern on the larger piece is similar to the strap work on merovingien (5th/6th century) items here in france.

[Oxgirl]

I’m not convinced on the potin but then I’ve never found one and I don’t know what I’m talking about

The other item looks like a sleeve clasp on first view - well until I saw the other side! It’s a lovely item whatever it is

[Easylife]

It looks like the decorative fitting had fixing holes approx every 2cm apart so was maybe attached to fabric?
Is the other one a bit small for a potin?

[Littleboot]

I thought so but I think it feels right in the hand ....very old metal and that doesn't come out well in the photo. Not like anything else i have found in that field from that perspective. I immediately 'knew' it was old when i dug it. The celtic coins over here tend to have different metal content....more billon, electrum etc. Definitely looks Celtic though and it was found so near the stater.
The other piece reminds me of something but can't remember what. It was clearly attached to something...whether wood or leather/cloth. I wonder if its a harness mount?
I have been looking at sleeve clasps of the period and do think Cath may be right....