ROMAN DISHED SHIELDS

[Medicus matt]

Thank you everbody for your interesting feedback. So it appears that a sloping boss can be fitted to a flat shield.

If I may, I would like to further inquire whether such a sloping boss would remain sloped even after fitted to a flat shield or whether the pressure of the nails and the shield board would not actually make it flat after prolonged use?

I've only built one shield using an iron (rather than modern steel) boss. Even though it was softer, it still retained it's shape when fixed to a flat board. I suppose if I'd been really severe when rivetting it might have flattened it but you don't need that much force to peen over iron rivets.

Another thought, a sloped flange would give more handroom inside the boss than a flat flange when fixed to a flat board.