The Mace
The Mace is an emblem of authority and its appearance indicates that the Mayor is acting in his or her, official capacity: likewise its absence shows that the proceedings are not fully official. The Mace is carried by the Mayor's Sergeant at Arms (usually on the right shoulder) and immediately precedes the Mayor. The Mace is reversed in the presence of the Sovereign. It is a symbol of the Royal authority delegated by the Sovereign to the Mayor and is thus redundant in the Monarch's presence.
The Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was formed in 1974 and is an amalgamation of the former County Borough of Warley and the County Borough of West Bromwich, so we have a choice of a number of Maces from each of the Towns.