The Coundon pendant has been dated to circa AD 1450 – 1550. The pendant is named after a small hamlet which was part of the ancient parish of Holy Trinity, Coventry. Records tell us the church had land in Coundon from at least the early 14th century. The Domesday book of AD 1086 records that Coventry Priory also held land in the hamlet at that time. The priory’s lands in Coundon were not administered as a unified demesne estate, and were subsequently easily divided at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries between AD 1536 – 1541. We will never know of course the identity of the original owner of this religious object or the circumstances of its loss, however, there is a possibility that it could have belonged to a Prior or a local wealthy landowner.

The object has a suspension loop at the top and three remaining pins in the corners that are thought to have once contained pearls which later perished in the ground.

One side is crudely engraved with the head of Christ and the other with a half-length image of Christ as the Man of Sorrows.The object was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme office based in Birmingham under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996. A specialist report was written and metal analysis conducted at the British Museum established the gold content to be 83% gold.

The Coundon Pendant is on permanent display at The Herbert Museum and Art Gallery located in Coventry city centre.