This bit came from the house of a member of he Habsburg family It is made of steel. The mouthpiece is gently arched. The cheeks are fixed and each has two circular rein rings. There is an integral shackle bar . On its near (left) side it has a Pelham type ring for a snaffle rein, but on the off (right) side it does not. I suspect it was removed after manufacture rather than having broken off because it has a smooth finish. On the inner surface there is a diagonally slanted slot and a recess for a stud. The inner surface of the off side has a "patch" of steel, presumably covering the slots on that side. Possibly the slots held some sort of crest or decoration, and this bit belonged to the nearside horse in a pair , so it was not felt necessary to decorate the offside ? But that doesn't quite explain the rein rings. The bit still has its original curb hooks. There are no maker's marks or stamps.
