10-12-2012, 03:30 PM
As mentioned the lid is spring loaded so that when the two halves of the handle are pulled apart the lid bounces upward with the lock pin releasing from the arm.
The hinge is just a very small rectangular slot in the other end of the lid which has a very small metal plate going through it that is riveted to the other arm, when the lid comes open it can be lifted higher then just pushed out at one side to allow for taking out the money which would be wrapped in velum or a piece of cloth.
There are giude vanes on the inside of the lid so when it is closed these vanes help locate the lid, then pressure on the lid snaps the lock pin back into its hole in the arm. It has been discovered from some purses found that the coins would be in velum or cloth because silver coins such as Denarii when punched out are stressed metal and can be broken if allowed to roll around in a purse.
It is the beating of the metal bowl that helps to create the tension on each arm where they tend to pull inwards where the spring join is, hence the tension on the locking of this purse very similar to one or two found in the museum at Chesters Fort on Hadrian's Wall these have no bolts or rings to them they are just smooth all over.
This purse as I think like most would only need to fit the forearm however Guy de la Bedoyere in his book "The finds of Roman Britain" considered they would fall off the arm and so he thinks they would have been tied to a belt. This I find absoloutly ridiculous for what is the name of this thing other than an ARM purse and of course what is its shape for other than fitting an arm.
The hinge is just a very small rectangular slot in the other end of the lid which has a very small metal plate going through it that is riveted to the other arm, when the lid comes open it can be lifted higher then just pushed out at one side to allow for taking out the money which would be wrapped in velum or a piece of cloth.
There are giude vanes on the inside of the lid so when it is closed these vanes help locate the lid, then pressure on the lid snaps the lock pin back into its hole in the arm. It has been discovered from some purses found that the coins would be in velum or cloth because silver coins such as Denarii when punched out are stressed metal and can be broken if allowed to roll around in a purse.
It is the beating of the metal bowl that helps to create the tension on each arm where they tend to pull inwards where the spring join is, hence the tension on the locking of this purse very similar to one or two found in the museum at Chesters Fort on Hadrian's Wall these have no bolts or rings to them they are just smooth all over.
This purse as I think like most would only need to fit the forearm however Guy de la Bedoyere in his book "The finds of Roman Britain" considered they would fall off the arm and so he thinks they would have been tied to a belt. This I find absoloutly ridiculous for what is the name of this thing other than an ARM purse and of course what is its shape for other than fitting an arm.
Brian Stobbs
