On the Prick Spur 21 



welded into a circular heel-plate one inch in diameter, from the 

 centre of which projects a spike, round in section, and about 

 five-eighths of an inch in length. The ends of the sides are 

 beaten out to form an oblong about half an inch wide and 

 rather more in length, and a square opening is cut in each. 

 Here the button-shaped stud is absent, and I have not been 

 fortunate enough to find a spur in England with this arrange- 

 ment, though from the numerous examples given in Zschille 

 and Forrer's work there appear to be several in German 

 collections. The appearance and workmanship of Mr. Redfern's 

 spur so much more resembles that of the Etruscan spur shown 

 on the same plate than it does those Roman spurs — to be 

 described presently — and which date from after the Christian 

 era, that I am inclined to think that it was left behind by some- 

 one who accompanied Julius Caesar in his invasion of Britain 

 in 54 B.C. At any rate, if it belongs to the period of the second 

 Roman invasion, it dates from quite the commencement of that 

 period, and was probably an old-fashioned spur at that time. 



In the National Museum at Rome there are several spurs 

 of the reign of Tiberius, a.d. 14 to 37, all very much alike, 

 and of which illustrations of two are given on Plate 5. They 

 are made of bronze, and the sides are flat and very thin, much 

 thinner than in the case of the two previously described. One 

 has a plain rounded spike half an inch long, and the heel-plate 

 quite thin, flat inside and out, and half an inch wide. The 

 sides are gradually rounded towards their terminations, and are 

 turned round outwards to form a loop through which the 

 thong could pass ; the spread is two and a half inches. The 



