English: Two fragments of a Roman copper alloy plaque with inscription dating AD1st - 2nd century. These two fragments are conjoining and include part of the upper edge of the plaque and the upper central section of the inscription. The plaque is flat but the upper edge has a lip which projects at 90 degrees to the front of the plaque. There is an engraved linear border above the inscription. The inscription reads:

[---]AE . DEAE [---]

[---]B . AVG [---]

[---]BOGIVS[---]

[---]PANNO[---]

[---]VM[---]

Report from Roger Tomlin via Jenny Hall:

Copper-alloy plaque inscribed in good capitals, all four edges broken; but the text implies that little has been lost from top and bottom. Dedication to a goddess (name lost) and the Divinities of the Emperors, by [...]bogius, who describes himself as 'Pannonian'.

1. Dedications to a god or goddess almost always begin with DEO or DEAE. The preceding word here (also in the dative femine case) is either (1) a title, e.g. AVGVSTAE, SANCTAE (both uncommon in this position), or (2) the name of the goddess inverted, e.g. FORTVNAE DEAE (also uncommon), or (3) the only goddess worshipped under her title, BONAE DEAE, 'To the Good Goddess'. The real name of Bona Dea is unknown; her cult was widespread in Italy, but uncommon elsewhere. The only British instance is RIB 1448 (Chesters), [B]ONAE DEAE REGINAE CAE[L]ESTI, which identifies her with Regina ('Queen', title of various goddesses, including the consort of Jupiter Dolichenus, Juno Regina) and Caelestis (the Punic Tanit).

2. [ET NVMINIB(VS) AVG[(VSTORVM) or VSTORVM], '... and to the Divinities of the Emperors'. This cult (of the Emperor's divine attributes) is often coupled with another. 'Numinibus' is abbreviated; we cannot tell whether 'Augustorum' was also abbreviated (as it usually was). The plural 'Numinibus' suggests there was more than one Emperor, implying a joint-reign, e.g. of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (177-80) or Septimius Severus and his sons (198-211).

3. The dedicator bore a Celtic name compounded with -BOGIVS, e.g. 'Adbogius' (Mainz), 'Conbogius' (Noricum), 'Vercombogius' (Noricum and Pannonia), 'Namantobogius' (Paris), 'Setubogius' (Amiens). This is the first instance from Britain.

4. The dedicator described himself as 'Pannonian', in a phrase like CIVIS PANNONIVS (RIB 1713, Vindolanda), D(OMO) MVRSA EX PANNON(IA) INFERIORE (RIB 894, Old Carlisle), or [?EXERCITVS P]ANNONICI M[(ILES)?] (RIB III, 3243, Brougham Castle). Less likely, since this is London, he was a soldier in a Pannonian cohort, e.g. MI[L(ES) COH(ORTIS) I] PAN(NONIORVM) (RIB 1167, Cawfields).

5. The space after ]VM suggests the inscription ended here. The case-termination is either an accusative singular or a genitive plural. The latter is unlikely, since it would have to be PANNO[NIOR]VM; and, although the line-width is unknown, more than 4 letters must be missing between lines 4 and 5. The most likely accusative is [VOT]VM, 'a vow (fulfilled)', 'an offering'. Perhaps it was balanced by the verb SOLVIT ('paid') to the right, but the spacing is difficult. It is easier to take [VOT]VM as the end of the text, with [...]BOGIVS as the subject, and the verb understood. This combination is occasionally found instead of the usual concluding formula V S L M), but preceding the dedicator's name, e.g. RIB 1084 (Lanchester), REGINAE VOTVM MISIOVS (the dedicator's name, but difficult to read); RIB 2095 (Birrens), FORTVNAE VOTVM [the dedicator's name lost].

Report from Professor Alfredo Buonopane, University of Verona via Dr Pamela Greenwood:

Gentilissima dott. Greenwood,
perdoni il ritardo, ma ero in Italia meridionale sul nostro scavo di Grumentum e Internet non era sempre accessibile.
Ho visto le foto e la lettura non è semplice:
nella r. 1 abbiamo la parte finale del nome di una divinità femminile, potrebbe essere: [Minerv]ae deae oppure [Dian]ae deae
in r. 2 potrebbe essere [a]b Aug[usto]; [su]b Aug[usto] oppure col senso di provenienza da qualche città che ha l'aggettivo augusta e.g. [a]b Aug[usta Ruarica]. Potrebbe anche essere un nome abbreviato seguito dalla qualifica di Aug[ustalis] : [- - -]b(- - -) Aug(ustalis).
in r. 3 BOGIVS potrebbe essere parte di un nome, come [Setu]bogius o [Ad]bogius
in r. 4 PANNO può essere parte del nome geografico Pannonicus o Pannonus
in r. 5 VM potrebbe essere la desinenza di un accusativo in -um o di un genitivo plurale in -orum/-arum.
Mi spiace di non poter esserle stato molto utile, ma il frammento è davvero piccolo. Mi faccia sapere eventuali sviluppi.
Cordiali saluti
Alfredo Buonopane

Roughly translated without my comments -

Dear Dr Greenwood
Forgive me for taking so long, but I was in south Italy on our dig at Grumentum and the Internet was not always accessible.
I have looked the photo and the text is not straight forward.
In line 1. We have the last part of the name of a female divinity, it could be [Minerv]ae deae or
[Dian] deae.
In line 2 it could be [a]b Aug[usto]; [su]b Aug[usto] or be in the sense that it came from some city that had the adjective augusta e.g. [a]b Aug[usta Ruarica]. It could also be an abbreviated name followed by the qualification Aug[ustalis]: [---]b (---) Aug(ustalis).
In line 3 BOGIVS could be part of a name such as [Setu]bogius or [Ad]bogius
In line 4 PANNO could be part of the geographical name Pannonicus or Pannonus
In line 5 VM could be the ending of an accusative in -um or of a genitive plural in -orum/-arum.
I am sorry not to have been more useful, but the fragment is truly very small. Let me know of any further developments
Best wishes
Alfredo Buonopane

Dimensions: length: 72.2mm; width: 32.5mm; thickness including the lip: 6.25mm; thickness of sheet: 2.78mm; weight: 48.56g.