Mithril Coat

Frodo wearing the Mithril Coat

The Mithril Coat or Mithril-coat was a vest of mithril-mail. It changed owners several times in the Third Age, from the Dwarves of Erebor to the dragon Smaug, to Bilbo Baggins, and later to Frodo Baggins. It was taken by Mordor-orcs in the Tower of Cirith Ungol from Frodo, but was later shown by the Mouth of Sauron to Gandalf, Aragorn, and other leaders outside the Morannon. Gandalf seized it from him, and would return it to Frodo.

History

The Mithril Coat was said to have been made for a young Elf prince long before the late Third Age. It eventually came to be part of the Dwarven treasure hoard of the Lonely Mountain. It was found by the dragon Smaug when he seized the mountain, and added to his treasure heap. There, it was given by Thorin II to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who wore it during the Battle of Five Armies. After returning to the Shire, Bilbo loaned the Mithril Coat to the Mathom-house. Before departing the Shire for Rivendell, Bilbo reclaimed the coat and wore it on that journey.

Many years later it was given by Bilbo to his nephew Frodo Baggins as Frodo set out on his quest to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Frodo wore the Mithril Coat under his tunic, unknown to the rest of the Fellowship. It was discovered when, during a skirmish in the Mines of Moria, an Orc chieftain stabbed Frodo with a spear. The coat prevented what would have been a lethal wound, leaving Frodo badly bruised but otherwise uninjured.

The Mithril Coat was confiscated from Frodo in the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The two groups of Orcs that captured Frodo fought over the valuable coat, and most were killed during the conflict. One of the two Orc leaders, Shagrat, survived the fight and seized the coat, escaping the tower with it. Shagrat brought the coat directly to Sauron at Barad-dûr, who killed him before giving the coat to the Mouth of Sauron. The Mouth of Sauron presented it to Gandalf at the Black Gate as false evidence that Frodo had failed in his quest. In his wrath Gandalf retrieved the coat. The wizard later returned it to Frodo after the destruction of the Ring.^{[citation needed]}

Following Frodo's departure to Aman, it is unknown whether he took it with him or left it to Samwise Gamgee as he did with the Red Book of Westmarch, in which case it likely would have remained in the possession of the Fairbairns or Gardners, possibly once more on loan to the Mathom-house.