This reproduction of the Holy Lance is based on the example kept in the Imperial Treasury in Vienna. It is crafted from blackened high carbon steel with a bound sleeve of etched brass and steel wire binding.
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\nFrom the tenth century onwards, the Spear of Destiny featured prominently in the coronation ceremonies of many Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and, in time, find itself in the possession of the Habsburgs as part of the Imperial regalia. The inscription Lancea et clavus Domini the leafed sleeve translates to Nail of Our Lord – a reference to the nail fitted within the cut-out mid-section of the spearhead.
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\nAnalysis of the lance head by metallurgist Robert Feather in 2003 dated to the lance head to the 7th century. The iron nail was found to be consistent with 1st century Roman design.
