Copper-alloy, 26.98 grams, 36.18 mm. 3rd-1st century BC. In the Iron Age, British metal fittings for fastening clothes are a rarity other than the many types of brooch; buckles were unknown, and instead a form of cast metal toggle was used to fasten the belt in conjunction with a decorative metal slider. The present piece is hollow-cast with a thick semicircular loop on the reverse and the outer surface is curved into a semi-columnar form with longitudinal ribbing. Reference: Hattatt, R. Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts, Oxford, 1989, p.420-1 items 39-43. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: found Haverhill, Suffolk.