Yetholm-type shield of dots. The artist could not hope to show the fine detail of a Yetholm-type shield, but the similarity is striking. The impressive shields would have indicated high social status. The shields are made of a copper alloy sheet about 0.6 mm thick. The alloy is a high-tin bronze: copper with 11-14% tin. They are round with a central domed boss created by hammering out from the back. The shield face is covered in raised ridges in concentric rings, each a couple of millimetres high. Between the ridges are rings of small hemispherical bosses about 4 mm across. Decoration was
Tin-silver-copper Tin-silver-copper Tin-silver-copper (SnAgCu, also known as SAC), is a lead-free (Pb-free) alloy commonly used for electronic solder. The tin-silver-copper alloy has been the prevailing alloy system used to replace tin-lead because it is near eutectic, with adequate thermal fatigue properties, strength, and wettability. Lead-free solder is gaining much attention as the environmental effects of lead in industrial products is recognized, and as a result of Europe’s RoHS legislation to remove lead and other hazardous materials from electronics. Japanese electronics companies have also looked at Pb-free solder for its industrial advantages. Typical alloys are 3–4% silver, 0.5–0.7% copper, and the balance