532 Account of some Antiques, Se. 
of a spear. The loops on each side would 
almost lead one to suppose it was of celtic origin 3 
but I am inclined to think it was the head of a 
Roman standard, to which the silken or linen 
labarum was affixed, which was suspended from 
the top of a spear by means of a small yard, like 
the sail of a ship. This conjecture will be 
strongly corroborated by attending to Roman 
coins of the later Emperors, whereon is seen 
a standard of the above description, as on some 
of the coins of Constantines, Valens and 
other Emperors; these standards or colours 
were introduced after the metal eagle, the boar, 
the hand, the head of the Emperor, é&c. were 
Jaid aside. 
No. 11 is alump of sal ammoniac found at the 
entrance of Gaythorn Row, the top of Deans- 
gate, near Castleficld, Manchester, in the year 
1788, with a Roman coin of Tetricus, who ruled 
in Britain under the Emperor Aurelian.* | What 
this salt might have been used for by the ancients, 
ifit had any use,or indeed whether it may not bea 
natural production, is uncertain ; many fragments 
of unglazed pots, and one in tolerable preserva- 
tion with two handles, were turned up at the same 
time. Perhaps upon or very near this place 
was the pottery to the Roman station near 
adjoining: Verstigan in his ‘Restitution of 
* About the year 274. 
