VERY RARE CELTIC SWORD SCABBARD C.300-100 BC

Made of hammered sheet iron, 37 ½” long. Separate rolled edges with captive sheet panels. The front with fine chiseled iron mounts at the throat and matching tip mounts and three pairs of circular mounts (one lacking). A transverse seam covering bar lacking as well. Reverse with three transverse seam bars and belt loop. The surface with a black textured coating applied in antiquity as a preservative and stabilizer.  The preservation of this example indicates that it was a bog find, preserved once exposed to air. See Records of the Medieval Sword, Oakeshott, fig 1 for a related bog finds sword preserved in virtually as new condition, and its accompanying scabbard. This is the only other Celtic scabbard we have seen which does not have a rusted blade frozen within.