[Jojo Zerach]

Whenever I see depictions of blackened 14th century English armour, it has latten-coloured poleyns and couters, and sometimes gauntlets.
The Black Prince is depicted wearing such armour in a manuscript, and it just so happens his surviving gauntlets are "latten".
Does anyone know if his gauntlets are really latten, or just coated in it?

[Sam Gordon Campbell]

I'd probably say that they were just coated or plated in it rather then being made from it.

[Jojo Zerach]

Yeah, I recall a picture now of the B.P. gauntlets where the finish was worn off, and it looked like steel underneath.
Perhaps they just coated it for asthetic reasons, to contrast with the black armour.

[Chad Arnow]

I've seen the Black Prince's gauntlets referred to as being of latten as well as of copper-gilt. What's not always clear is whether "copper-gilt" means copper covered with gold (gilded copper) or some other metal that has been "gilded" (the set of techniques whereby one metal is made to cover another, originating with gold, hence the name) with copper.

It's also possible the gauntlets were made just to be hung above his tomb, and weren't pieces used in war.

I'm away from my sources right now, so I can't say for sure. I'm trying to work off memory alone.

[Jojo Zerach]