English: An image of the fragment of mail has been analysed by Paul Thompson, Museum Archaeology Officer, Coventry, and his verdict is:

Its round section, riveted mail with two failed links. Rather than square section or butted links which were often used for repairs although re-enactors use them to make complete garments.

Its made in a pattern known as barley corn where one link joins to four other links, two above and two below, never to another link in the same row. This is easier to see on a larger piece and is the standard way of producing mail. It could have originated from almost any garment. Garments change through time but such a small piece, it simply is not possible. It is very difficult to date mail for this very reason. The size of the links does provide some help. Roman mail for instance I have never seen any larger than 6mm and I have seen allot of 4 mm. Medieval size tends to be around 10 mm. I have seen 8 mm and yours is 13 mm which is around the largest I have seen though have heard of 15 mm. In the 16th century mail falls out of favour due to its failure to provide adequate ballistic protection against time and skill required to manufacture it. Much cheaper and easier to make plates that by this time can cover the body completely. Mail was often used to permit movement and protection where a plate would cause hindrance. I have observed smaller sizes being used again at this time. It is virtually absent from the civil war battlefields. I would think that the date can be narrowed a little to between the 12th and end of the 15th centuries. I am not sure if this is a conveniently useful piece have secondary use as a chain or a length carried for repairs (unlikely as links would be unriveted). It may simply be a piece separated from a larger garment. The piece would take an hour or two to rivet together so is not a five minute job (compared to our own comparative work).