Exhibition Label Text: Serf’s collar, reproduction of a 17th century collar in the National Museums of Scotland.Collars were commonly worn by criminals forced to work in the mines as a punishment. Beggars and the unemployed could also be sent to work in the mines, although such untrained men made poor miners. Ordinary collier serfs rarely wore collars but men caught running away from the pit could be made to wear one. The collar usually carried the name of the man’s master.
Circular metal band with slots at one edge to push curved metal loop through to close collar. Diam 15.0 W 4.5 cms
Condition checked: good, some tarnishing, EH 18/6/2012
Digital image on Keeper’s computer – S:/Keeper/MyPictures/Exhibitions/DisplayNewVisitorCentre. Taken December 2003.
Replica of seventeenth century serf’s collar in the collection of the National Museum’s of Scotland, produced for the New Power House exhibition, opening in 1999.