Silver, 4.28 grams, 28.83 mm. 1st-4th century AD. An unusual form of plate brooch in the form of a sea monster with short tail, textured body, ribbed muzzle and circular piercing for the eye. The brooch appears to be related to the stag-shaped plate brooch found in Roman Britain (e.g. the example from Ham Hill, Somerset). Reference: Hattatt, R. Ancient and Romano-British Brooches, reprinted Ipswich, 1994 item 166. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection. This item is accompanied by an XRF ancient metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.