+ DAVE'S : RARE : COINS

V.VII A new and unpublished penny of David I of Scotland.

                  Newly discovered David I penny.

A recent metal detecting find in plough soil in Yorkshire has revealed only the third Cross Moline [Type I] coin of king David I of Scotland [1124-1153] to be found in England. I am honoured to be the first to publish details. The coin may be described as follows :

Obverse. Crude crowned bust right holding sceptre, and breaking inner circle. +DAVID : RE : around.

Reverse. Cross Moline with fleurs in angles [as Stephen, 'Watford' Type I] +DER ... G : ON : EDEN :

When found the coin was covered with a deposit of iron. Months of careful initial cleaning by the finder, an experienced and successful detectorist, have uncovered a beautiful and extremely rare coin. The finder hopes to have the coin cleaned further, professionally, in order to reveal more of the portrait and further lettering.

All coinage of David I is very rare, there being four known types [N 909, N 910, N 911 & N 915]. This is a Type I [N 909], which closely resembles, and is in fact based upon, the initial type of king Stephen. Early examples of the type feature blundered legends in Stephen's name and later in David's name, but this coin is later still [c.1140 ?] as the coin is struck in David's own name and the legends are clear. David I was maternal uncle to and a strong supporter of the Empress Maud during the Civil War. Production of Scotlands first coinage began, with English moneyers, in 1136/7, following David's capture of the recently created English mint at Carlisle in 1136. It was made possible through the revenues of David's English Earldom and the proceeds of the silver mines below Neatshead near Alston in Cumberland, which fed the main mint at Carlisle, plus other Northern English & Scottish mints. Because there was no shortage of silver, most Scottish coinage issued during the Norman era was struck to the full internationally accepted 22 grain standard.

Martin Allen, in correspondence with the finder, confirms that the English finds of this type have all come from Yorkshire, which seems to indicate usage confined to Scotland and Northern England.

David I's coinage was struck at only three mint towns, Carlisle [CARD], Edinburgh and Roxburgh [ROCE]. These were closely related mints which shared common moneyers. North in his seminal work on English Hammered Coinage lists the legend EDEN on David's coins as an uncertain mint town. We now know for certain that the legend refers to the then recently established mint of Edinburgh. This is a very rare mint town, but especially so for the initial Scottish hammered of the Norman period. Only three moneyers are known to have struck there, EREBALD, DERLIG [called DERIND by North, & DEOR(L)ING by EMC] and FOLBALD. From the visible lettering on the coin, which to me reads DER ... ... G, the best bet for the moneyer seems to be DERLIG. Dr. Allen [and others, in correspondence] disagree, and thinks the legend could be a blundered rendering of EREBALD, but admits he is uncertain, as am I. Moneyers names often exist in many different forms on the same coinage as no standardised spelling existed at the time. Dies were mainly engraved at regional centres and sent out to provincial and other mints, so no two were identical. The dies used to strike this coin were very worn, hence the obscured lettering.

Other similar examples of N 909 with the same moneyer & mint town are :

EMC 1200.0965 [below (a)] from the same dies as the Beauvais Hoard example [Glendinning #161, below, (b)], but different dies to this coin, they are almost worn out. Mint signature is EDE.

[a]

[b]

SCBI 48 - Northern Museums : 1893 [below] also from different dies, [compare the shape of the letter 'N' on these examples]. There is another in the British Museum struck from the same dies. Both coins from the Prestwich Hoard. Mint signature is EODEN.

No coins are known from the same dies as this new David I.

Recorded on the EMC/SCBI database as EMC 2007.0276.

References : Coinage and Currency under Stephen. Mark Blackburn [For The Anarchy of King Stephen's Reign. Ed. Edmund King.] The 'Beauvais' Hoard. Michael Faintich. Coinage of the Anarchy. George Boon. EMC/SCBI database. Wikipedia. About.com.

Many thanks to Neil for allowing me to publish his remarkable find.

Please note that I do not own this coin [unfortunately]. Nor do I have access to it.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 04/11/2007.
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V.VI A Visit to Coinex 2007.

Sat. 29th Sept.

               Clive's Aethered II 'First Hand' type : Aethelwald at London.

This year I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the biggest coin fair in the U.K. Coinex, at Earls Court in London. A friend Clive from my ebay group had kindly sent me a ticket and we had arranged to meet at the venue. So after a rather interesting train journey [during which I had to transfer to the Picadilly Line, as the Waterloo line had been closed for the weekend, and I had not been informed of this when purchasing my tickets !!] I finally met Clive, and introduced myself to his parents who had come along for a day out. This was my first visit to a major coin exhibition.

So upon entry we boarded the lift and headed for the coin rooms, of which there were two, a smaller one and a much larger main showroom. Clives parents left us to look around, meeting us periodically during our wanderings, as we browsed the stalls and had interesting conversations regarding the coins on offer. From time to time, when something interesting took our eye we asked for the coin trays to be released so that we could view them up close and even handle the coins. I was amazed that the dealers would allow just anyone to handle merchandise worth several thousands of pounds !! I was a little disappointed in the lack of early Anglo-Saxon pennies [I did spot one or two ◊ffa's], dealers preferring high-end Late Saxon pennies and top-end Norman coinage, in particular coins of William I. Some very nice coins I handled and scrutinised were an Eadred HR1 penny in possibly the finest grade I have ever seen, almost as struck, an extremely rare Ælfred 'London Monogram' penny and a very fine William II Cross Patee & Fleury type. During our look around Clive explained much about later Medieval coinage, pointing out rarer variants and nice coins in higher grades.

Clive had spotted an Æðelred II that he was interested in, a Good Very Fine 'First Hand' type with a slightly chipped flan. After asking my opinion on the coin, a deal was struck and the coin was his. The result was a lovely coin at a very reasonable price [please see pic above]. Alas I could not afford to purchase anything of this nature for my own collection, but I did manage to net two contemporary foreign coins, a Karloman I and an Otto I for very little money. The stallholder on this particular stall had many interesting foreign coins and was himself very knowledgeable. Clive left me to it as I stopped and chatted to him for quite some time !!

Later we lunched at a nearby cafeteria and Clive and I showed each other examples of some coins from our cabinets that we had brought along. An embarrasing incident at this time almost resulted in my losing one of Clives very rare cut quarter pennies !! I had a chance also to chat more to Clive and his parents, very nice folk with his dad, who has a great sense of humour, probably more interested in numismatics than his mum, a very nice lady who tried hard to take an interest, but was probably about as interested as my wife would have been if I had brought her with me .... !!!

Aside from coins, several stalls also had superior grade antiquities for sale. Many very nice Saxon items caught my eye, like rare filigree pins and enormous saucer brooches, but none so much as the zoomorphic silver box or book mount that jumped at me as I walked past. I had to stop and pick it up. The workmanship was some of the finest I have ever seen on any Anglo-Saxon object. I would add that although only perhaps 4cm square, it was museum-grade and probably 9th century, but at almost a thousand pounds [and worth every penny] it was beyond my meagre budget.

Many famous faces from the coin world were in evidence at Coinex, I had a chat to John who edits Coin News magazine, Clive spoke to Mike Vosper about an extremely rare Henry I Class I cut half he had brought with him [an enigmatic coin, with half of the experts he has spoken to saying the coin reads VVLFRIC, and the other half that it has a variant of the Leicester mint signature. Vosper guessed Wulfric]. Several members of the BNS were present, some of whom I knew. In all there were many friendly and helpful stallholders and collectors, most of whom were quite willing to talk about the hobby of numismatics.

To round off a great day we searched through the bargain bins on a couple of stalls, Clive advising me on cheap beginner coinage for the starter collections of my two sons. I bagged a George III coin brooch and Clive some interesting modern coins for his own collection, and to sell on his website. I also nabbed a couple of free auction catalogues and other paperwork. Alas it was over too quickly and  I bid farewell to Clive's family at the train station.

A thoroughly enjoyable day out, which has prompted me to look into visiting other coin fairs, large and small, as and when I can.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 12/10/2007.
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V.V Weights and findspots added !!

One of the most frequent constructive criticisms I recieve about my website is the fact that whilst I record the coins of my cabinet with as much information as possible, I have not included the weight of each coin. Scholars of early Medieval coinage find the weight of specific coins most useful in their research, and I myself prefer to have this information wherever possible. So in answer to these queries I have procured a coin scale and painstakingly weighed each coin in my collection [not so easy when the condition of some of them is considered !!]. The separate peices of a fragmented coin are weighed together to give a combined weight. I have not included the individual weights for each peice. If this information is required, please let me know. The weights are added to the obverse scans in the photo albums, following the North number of each coin.

Findspots are another specific that I have not recorded with my coins until now. Again this information is extremely useful in researching coinage, and many experts prefer coins with a recorded find area to those without. Please note though that I do not have a findspot for all of my coins, and am reliant on information supplied when the coins are purchased. Provenance is included where applicable, but the majority of my coins are metal detector finds and have none as such. Some of my coins have very specific findspots that the seller wishes to remain confidential. I do not release this information without permission, but simply publish a generalised area. If required, please let me know and I may be able to help. Findspot information is given following the weight of each coin.

I am also updating the photos in the albums with the information now presented in a standardised format, which I hope will prove easier to read and understand. This is an ongoing process [with considerable research involved, particularly concerning minting periods for individual types, as at the moment many simply have the total regnal years for the reigning monarch in whose name the coin was struck] and I shall be adding more information as it becomes available. Please bear with me as the end result will justify the disruption !!

I shall be adding coin flan diameters in the future too.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 23/09/2007.
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V.IV The Problem of fake coinage.

              Cœnwulf Tribrach Penny from my collection. And the fake sold by anglosaxoncoins.net.

I have added a new page to my site recently to showcase the amount of fake Anglo-Saxon coinage on the market. Companies such as www.anglosaxoncoins.net are notorious for the copies they sell as genuine rare Anglo-Saxon coins. Ebay is becoming a haven for sellers deliberately listing these fakes as genuine. The problem is reaching epidemic proportions, with prospective buyers willing to pay the inflated asking prices in order to get their hands on very rare coins. What they are actually buying is reproduction coins produced from Trevor Ashmore's and other dies, and roughed-up cast coins etc... These can sometimes be difficult to tell apart from the real thing, especially if the collector has never seen or handled the genuine coinage. Although with a little practice, the help of certain books and museum collections, the collector can learn how to identify the real deal.

There is a continual debate in the coin world on whether or not legally made and sold reproductions, should indeed be made or sold, be they marked as such or not, or whether restrictions should placed upon them. It is not my intention to enter this debate here. The fact is that you can buy these coins openly and honestly, but there are unscrupulous people out there that often carefully file off the reproduction marks and wear away the edge of the coin to hide the cast line. The coin could then [in a bad light, or a blurry pic on ebay] pass as genuine. This is deliberate fraud. I see this happening constantly. Sellers hawking this rubbish on ebay usually have a private ID bidding list, so that those in the know cannot warn the bidders. My ebay forum group, Early Medieval Hammered Coinage [please see favourites link], and I are attempting to combat this problem.

Some pointers when buying early Medieval coins :

Cast coins. These are all fakes. Saxon and Norman coins were hammered and as such are very thin. Cast coins are thick and have a 'cast line' around the edge.

Size. Certain books will provide the correct flan size. "English coins in the British Museum : Anglo-Saxon" Volumes one and two are ideal for this kind of info. For the Saxon/Norman era the average was around 20mm.

Weight. If uncertain always ask the seller. Some books will give the correct weight. Fakes are almost invariably heavier than real coins.

Material. Pennies of this era were ALL made of silver [in varying quantities]. Testing kits are available. Silver blackens with age [especially when debased], often has verdigris and sometimes oxidizes, [and becomes very dark, brittle and chalk-like. It also bends and breaks easily with the characteristics of thin lead], in extreme conditions. It is a comparatively soft metal. # I would not advise cleaning these coins under any conditions. #

Stamped Coins. This is done by the manufacturer to mark it as a copy. Often carefully filed off in an attempt to pass the coin as genuine. Generally made of pewter, or plated, ...... or similar.

Myths. This involves coins and types that did not exist at the time ! I was once caught out in this manner and purchased a supposed cut half penny of Æðelstan I. Cut halves are exceptionally rare before the reform coinage of king Eadgar in AD973. My coin is a broken [genuine] penny of Æðelstan I, 'trimmed' to be sold as a cut half [this can be viewed in the East Anglian Kings photo album].

Aging and Roughing-up. This is done by sellers in an attempt to make the coins look older. There are several methods used, and you can even buy 'patina kits'. Roughing-up is when the fake is deliberately scratched, chipped and generally damaged to make it appear worn, as if it had been underground for hundreds of years. Also done to obscure repro marks and cast lines etc...

Some pointers when buying early Medieval coins on ebay.

No pics, or very blurred ones on the listing. Seller probably has something to hide, or isn't bothered if the coin sells. Ask for pics [genuine ones, not stock photos], or better pics, and certainly more info. Or avoid.

Bad Feedback. Dont simply trust the numbers to tell the story. Read the feedback, then decide whether or not to purchase.

Unwilling to Discuss. No answer to emails, too busy to talk etc.. something to hide ? Avoid. [Please note if the seller cannot discuss the coin through lack of knowledge - and makes this clear, then allowances must be made, similarly if they are away on holiday etc...].

Exaggeration. Coins described as Superb, Fantastic etc... when clearly they are nothing of the kind. Also includes overgrading. A notorious  practice on ebay. Several times I have seen coins from this era advertised as uncirculated [unlikely unless hoarded straight after minting] and even one described as a Fleur-de-Coin.

Trick Photography. This is frequently done when the seller offers a job lot of coins for sale at once. Some sellers will lay all the coins out evenly on a surface and photograph [and usually describe] the entire group....but most will simply photograph a small pile of coins [and offer a vague, or semi-vague, description]. The best few will be on top of course [these will usually be mentioned in the listing]. This is done to tempt the buyer into bidding on what is essentially a pile of scrap metal !! If selling poor quality coins, please sell them openly and honestly.

History Lesson. Far too much information on the monarch and historical period of the coin. Please do that amount of research on the coin itself and add that to the listing ! And keep actual history to a minimum.

Excessive Postage. Very annoying. Sellers trying to make extra money on top of the cost of the coin, by raising the cost of postage to ridiculous levels. I have seen this taken to ludicrous extremes at NINE POUNDS for standard postage. A hammered coin weighs next to nothing and will in fact ship on a first class stamp [although not recommended unless bought very cheaply]. Standard parcel post for this size and weight would be less than a pound. Recorded delivery is at around £1.25. Special delivery is £4.10 [your coin is insured for up to £500 with this option]. Add a pound at most for a padded envelope, bubble wrap and perhaps a capsule or similar. Enter into a conversation with the buyer and find out why their postage is so high. If you dont like the answer, or dont get one, dont bid.

May be genuine... This annoys me. Also listings with 'part of my late fathers collection', 'bought as part of a collection', 'estsate lot', 'bought from car boot sale' etc...If the seller cant be bothered to research it or have it authenticated, then dont buy it [unless you know something they dont] as the chances are that its a copy. I try to warn buyers [and sellers] if I can tell its a fake.

Shill bidding or 'shilling'. This can happen if the ID of the bidders is kept private on the sellers listing pages. It involves the seller [or another person or people in league with the seller] bidding on their own item to force the price higher for genuine buyers. I was actually asked by a seller to do this once. I did not even offer the courtesy of a reply. It is against ebay policy and many bidders [including myself] have strong feelings about the private ID system.

Note the bidders. Known collectors, experts and top coin dealers often buy and sell on ebay. They are generally easy to spot once their username is noted a few times. Experts will not buy rubbish. Watching who bids on a coin is sometimes a good indicator of its authenticity, and the reliability of the seller. A few quick examples : Mike Vosper trades as vivienne5592. Joe Linzalone is Wodan13. Andy Gillis is bi11ynom8s. Keith Chapman is anglosaxonandviking. Lance Chaplin uses ancient17.  Phil Elkins is elkinscoinsandantiquities.  Mark Blackburn is  MAB1001.

The notorious anglosaxoncoins.net trade on ebay as KingdomsPast. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Researching early medieval coinage.

Dealers literature, and websites, are definately worth a look as these usually provide accurate information on the coins they sell, as do auction catalogues. Sites that showcase collections [professional and amateur] are another avenue to explore. Single coins, detector finds and the like, can be identified by local museums and/or the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Their website is user-friendly too.

Research may involve specialist books, the internet, associations, societies, schemes, museums, dealers, experts, and so on, but I would recommend the following books and website as standard :

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 31/08/2007.
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V.III Pronouncing Anglo-Saxon regal coin legends.

This post shows the names of the Anglo-Saxon kings and others who issued broad-flan pennies up until the Norman Conquest.  The names are listed by country/authority. Duplicate names for monarchs of separate countries have been omitted.

I] The first column [on the left] shows the names as they appear most commonly on the coinage.

II] The second column shows the names normalised, as we would find them in modern books.

III] The third column shows how to pronounce these names in the original manner.  Although there is no definitive guide.

Mercia.

◊ffa.                            ◊ffa.                                [as written]

Cynðryð.                       Cynethryth.                       KERN-ETH-RYTH.

Cœnvvlf.                       Coenwulf.                          CHENVULF.

Ceolvvlf [I&II].             Ceolwulf.                          CHAY-OL-VULF.

Beornþvlf.                      Beornwulf.                        B-AY-ON-VULF [O as in pot]

Lvdica.                           Ludica or Ludican.             [as written]

Vviglaf.                          Wiglaf.                             VIGLAF.

Beorhtvlf.                       Beortwulf.                        B-AY-O-RT-VULF [O as in pot]

Bvrgred.                         Burgred.                           [as written]

Kent.

Heaberht.                        Hebert.                           [first E as in pet. Second E as EA in bear]

Ecgberht.                         Egbert.                           EDGE-BERT [second E as EA in bear]

Eadberht [Praen, and others]    Edbert.                    AY-AD-BERT [E as EA in bear]

Cvðred.                            Cuthred.                          [as written]

Beldred.                            Baldred.                          BELDRED.

East Anglia.

[runic inscription]              Beonna.                            BAY-AH-ONNA.

Ahlberht.                           Albert.                           AL-BERT [E as EA in bear]

Æðelberht.                        Æthelbert.                      ETHEL-BERT [third E as EA in bear]

Eadvald.                             Edwald.                           AY-AH-DVOLD.

Eðelztan [I]                       Æthelstan.                       ETHEL-ZTAN

Æðelveard.                        Æthelward.                      ETHEL-VAY-AH-RD.

Eadmvnd.                             Edmund.                          AY-AH-DMUND.

Wessex.

Beorhtric.                           Beortric.                          BAY-O-TRIK [O as in pot]

Æðelvvlf.                            Ethelwulf.                        ETHELWOLF.

Æðelred [I&II]                   Ethelred.                         [as written]

Ælbred.                               Alfred.                            ELFRED.

Eadred.                                 [same]                            AY-AH-DRED.

Eadþig.                                 Eadwig.                           AY-A-DWIG.

Eadgar.                                 [same]                             AY-A-DGAR.

Hoþael [of Wales]                   Howel DDa.                             [O as in hole]

Northumbria.

Aldfriðvs.               Aldfrith.                         ALDFRITH [A sound is drawn out as 'path' spoken in an upper-class accent]

Alchred.                              Alcred.                           ALKRED [as above]

Alfvaldvs [I&II]                  Ælfwald.                        ELFVOLD.

Eardvvlf.                              Eardwulf.                       AY-AH-RDVULF.

Eanred.                                 [same]                            AY-AN-NRED.

Redvvlf.                                Redwulf.                        REDVULF.

Osberht.                               Osbert.                          [E as EA in bear]

Kings of All England.

Eadþeard [the Martyr]            Edward.                        [as modern name]

Cnut.                                       [same]                           KNOOT.

Harold [I]                               [same]                           [as modern name]

Harðecnut.                               Harthacnut.                   HARTHA-KNOOT.

Viking Coinages.

Oswald.                                  [same]                          OSWOLD.

Sitric.                                    Sihtric.                        SITRIK.

Gudef.                                    Guthfrith.                     [as written]

Siefred.                                  [same]                          SEE-FREED.

Raienalt.                                 Regnald.                        R-AY-NOLD [modern Ronald].

Anlaf [two reigns].                  Anlaf Guthfrithsson.           [as written]

Onlaf [two reigns].                  Olaf Sihtricsson.                [as written]

Regnald.                                  Regnald Guthfrithsson.       [as written]

Sihtric.                                   Sihtric Sihtricsson.            [as written]

Eric [two reigns].                      Eric Bloðox.                    ERIK BLOODAXE.

Ecclesiastical Coinages.

Canterbury.

Jaenberht.                             Janbert.                          YAN-BERT [E sound as EA in bear]

Æðelheard.                            Æthelheard.                     ETEL-HAY-AH-RD.

Vvlfred.                                  Wulfred.                         VULFRED.

Ceolnoð.                                   Ceolnoth.                         CH-AY-OLNOTH.

Plegmvnd.                                 Plegmund.                         [as written]

York.

Eanbald [I&II]                         [same]                            AY-AH-NBOLD.

Vigmvnd.                                   Wigmund.                       VIGMUND.

Vvlfhere.                                  Wulfhere.                       VULFHER [E sound as AI in hair]

Source : BBC.co.uk. h2g2. Anglo-Saxon [Old English].

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 27/08/2007.
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V.II Contemporary Imitations of early Anglo-Saxon pennies.

Contemporary Imitations of Anglo-Saxon pennies of the ninth century and before are excessively rare. Most have come to light in recent years with the assistance of metal detectors. Less than ten are known in total, from the reign of ◊ffa of Mercia [during whose reign the penny was introduced] to that of Æðelberht of Wessex. These vary much in style and some copy the legends of known official moneyers. There has been very little published on the subject as it remains on the whole little researched and understood.

The Spink Numismatic Circular for September 1990 has a somewhat dated article entitled 'Two More Ninth Century Imitations of Mercian Coins' by E Tomlinson Fort. This brought the total of then known Mercian irregular coins to six [some have since been proven regular issues], and  Tomlinson quotes liberally from Blunt, Lyon and Stewarts seminal study of the ninth century coinage of Southern England. But the interesting point made by Tomlinson in this article is that the authors do not even consider the possiblity that two uncertain coins, ERETCODMONET issues of Cœnwulf, may be contemporary imitations. Indeed they try to fit them into accepted mints, and known moneyer legends. Perhaps this is a case of 'cant see the wood for the trees' [no offence intended]. My point is that it is too easy for most researchers to accept crude portrait coins, or those with blundered or meaningless legends as 'East Anglian issues' but that they might not have been officially produced must also be taken into account and researched.

My own coin has been confirmed as a contemporary Imitation by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. It is copied from an official coin of Cœnvulf of Mercia. N 352 Cross Moline reverse, by the moneyer OBA. The official issue was produced at Canterbury c.810-821. The genuine coins have a diademed bust right of good style, with the pronounced Roman-style nose common to Mercian portrait coins. The obverse legend reads †COENVVLF REX M around the bust, with the drapery breaking the inner circle between Cœnwulf and Rex. The reverse legend reads †◊BA †MON †ETA around a small Cross Moline. Five examples are recorded on the EMC database. Another can be found in the Timothy Cook Collection.

My coin is unlikely to be the product of Oba's Canterbury workshop. The bust is of a strange, crude style - almost barbaric. The drapery is shaped differently to all the known genuine coins, which have straight or gently curving lines. On my coin they are rounded [as on some later Mercian coinage]. The legend is badly blundered [but not meaningless] and reads †OEN[H or þ?] the N is reversed, the final obverse letter is undetermined but is perhaps þ for COENþVLF, although this form of his name is never used on any of his genuine coins. It is however used a couple of years later in the reign of Beornþvlf of Mercia. It is a distinct possibility that the forger used a current form of lettering for an old issue without realising his mistakes.

The forger does pay some attention to detail regarding styles used in the legend lettering. He obviously wished his creation to look as near genuine as possible. The style of lettering used by him is very close to that used on official coins, down to the diamond-shaped ◊ of ◊BA. At least one of his reverse crosses is in the correct position and his M of MONETA is rounded in the Mercian style, resembling an Omega symbol, as on the real thing.

The fabric of my coin is of course composed of base metal, having a very low silver content. It does not ring true when dropped on a surface. Although having said that a few later ninth-century official pennies [Burgred and Ælfred for example] have less than 20% silver.

  Rory Naismith states that my coin was recorded [weight and die-axis] by Derek Chick [indeed, Chick cleaned it as well] in his annotated copy of The Coinage of Southern England, 796-840. He also draws a comparison between the style of my coin and that of two contemporary imitations of Cuðred of Kent [one in BM, one in the Stewartby Collection]. These have unusually crude obverses, although the legends are intelligiable. One [Stewartby, illustrated above,] has a 'Chevron A' reverse and is in the name of the well known moneyer DVDA. The other has a Cross and Wedges reverse, in the name of the later moneyer SIGESTEF. He places all three coins late in Cœnvulf's reign or slightly after. I would place them a year or two later still, after Cœnvulf's brother Ceolvulf I had been overthrown in AD823. They were probably produced in the reign of Beornþvlf [823-825] or Lvdica [825-827]. This was the age of the usurper, the  termination of Mercian traditional kingship, and to a certain extent authority. Although I certainly agree with Rory's theory that my coin, along with the two 'Cuthreds' was unofficially produced somewhere in East Anglia. This is evident by comparing stylistic similarities between these and official East Anglian issues.

Sources : EMC/SCBI database website. Spink Numismatic Circular, September 1990. The Coinage of Southern England, 796-840. Blunt, Lyon, Stewart. English Hammered Coinage, Vol 2. J.J. North. Debasement of the Coinage in Southern England in the Age of King Aelfred. Metcalf, Northover. Special thanks to Rory Naismith and Mike Bonser.

Images of the coin from the Stewartby Collection recieved from the Fitzwilliam Museum Coin Department. With many thanks.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 09/08/2007.
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V.I Eric Bloodaxe 'Sword Type' Penny.

 Finally I have aquired one of my long sought after rare coins. This is a Sword Type penny of the Viking Eric Bloodaxe, twice ephemeral 10thc king of York. This is my most expensive coin purchased to date, and arguably my rarest [notwithstanding my Eadvald of East Anglia]. This coin is so rare that it is classed as a Great Rarity. This type is the rarest of the English Viking series of coins. It has added much value and prestige to my collection.

Eric Bloodaxe was the son of Harald Finehair of Norway. He apparently earned his name not in battle, as might be supposed, but by murdering his way to the Norse throne, killing each of his twenty or so brothers. Only one, Hakon escaped to become king of Norway with the support of Aethelstan of England. Eric was ousted by this brother after a short but harsh and brutal reign. Coming to England he was accepted as king in York, where he reigned first 947-948, before he was overthrown by Anlaf Guthfrithsson, and again 952-954, when he was thrown out by his own subjects and later ambushed and killed . 

There are around twenty examples of the Sword Type recorded. The vast majority are in museums. Most major private collections do not possess one. The book Coinage in Tenth Century England [hereafter referred to as "Coinage"] published in 1989 states that at that time there were sixteen known examples. One other can be found on the PAS database, another fragment exists and my own coin. Mark Blackburn states around twenty coins are known to him.

There are two distinct types of Eric Bloodaxe coins. The Circumscription Cross issue of his first reign, and the Sword Type thought to be from his second reign. These are said to be based on other "sword coins" of the 920's. These types, all Viking issues, are St. Peter [there are also types without the sword], St. Martin of Lincoln [mid 920's] and Sihtric I [c.921-927].

The obverse is the same basic design across the type. ERIC REX above and below a stylised Viking sword right, with triple pellets above and below the title and at the point of the sword. Some examples have different symbols before ERIC and REX. These include annulets, pellets, bars, crescents, wedges and angles. They generally match on the same coin. Some dies have no symbols. There are also occasionally marks after REX.

The reverse of the coins has a small cross pattee, sometimes having four pellets in the field of the inner circle, as on my coin. Incidentally "Coinage" states that this pattern was then unknown for the moneyer of my coin, but common to other moneyers. The moneyer for my example is RADVULF. His whole coins also show a row of three pellets near the inner circle on the reverse die.

The MONETA[rius] signature varies with each moneyer. RADVULF has MEOI or MONΓ. ACVULF has MON. LEOFIC has MONE. INGELGAR has either nothing at all after his name or letters and symbols A, CRI, I, M, MI, OE, Γ or a triple colon. Strangely, no coins are known for RADVULF before the Circumscription Cross type of Eadgar [which throws doubt on the two moneyers being the same man], although he did mint for Anlaf Cuaran and Sihtric II prior to Eric. His name could be any of the following variants RADVULF, RADVLF, RATHWULF etc... but RADVULF [Redwulf] seems to me more likely. ACVULF, a resourceful man, also minted for the English kings Eadred, Eadwig and Eadgar. The moneyer LEOFIC is only known to have minted for Eric [with this variant of his name], although there are many possibilities for his actual name, LEOFINC etc... in which case he almost certainly coined for one or more of the Saxon kings too. INGELGAR, a prolific moneyer, minted for Eadmund, Eadred, Anlaf Cuaran and Eric.

The coins themselves are minted on large flans, common to the era, and are of reasonable quality silver. The legends are not blundered and this suggests competant moneyers based within York. There is an obverse die link between coins of Ingelgar and Radvulf, and two reverse links of Ingelgar. This suggests limited output by few moneyers. By common agreement these coins were accepted both within and outside the Danelaw. Several have been found in hoards of contemporary Anglo-Saxon coins.

Sources : Coinage in Tenth Century England. Blunt, Stewart, Lyon. The Portable Antiquities Scheme database. The library of the BNS and RNS. Special thanks to Dr. Mark Blackburn and Steve Elden.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 04/08/2007.
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V. Theft of the Lord Stewartby Collection.

The nationally important collection of Scottish coins accumulated over fifty years by Ian Stewart, Vice President of the British Numismatic Society, has been stolen in a raid on his home.

Lord Stewartby's meticulously sourced cabinet contains great rarities, including several of the earliest Scottish pennies minted during the Norman period. The collection is well known as containing more rarities than are actually present in Scottish museum collections, including the Scottish National Collection.

Although I dont know Ian personally, his generosity toward fellow numismatists is well attested, especially with regard to access to study materials within his cabinet. He is a very knowledgable and much respected author and researcher.

A large reward has been posted for information leading to the recovery of this important collection.

Although unlikely, if anyone is offered any rare Scottish coinage in the near future, please check for legal and correct provenance.

I would like to extend my sympathies to Lord Stewartby and his family at this difficult time, and I hope that the matter is resolved in their favour soon.

Update, 14th Oct 2007.

Lord Stewartby writes [in correspondence], "I do apologise for the delay in replying to your most kind email to Elena [Screen, secretary of the BNS, through whom I wrote to Lord Stewartby] about the theft of my coin collection. It has been a huge blow, both personally and for Scotland. But we are very cheered by the recovery of the Leonardo in Glasgow, only fifty miles from where it was stolen four years ago.

Thankyou for thinking of writing.

Stewartby.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 10/07/2007.
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IV.IX The Moneyer Saemaer at Hertford mint.

In 911 Eadward the Elder built a fort on each bank of the river Lea at Hertford, to guard the river crossing. A mint was established in the burgh during the reign of his son, the warrior king Æðelstan. Some known Hertford mint signatures are HEORTF, HRETO, HIRT, YRT, HIOTF, HRTFDE and RETEF. The mint remained active until the reign of king Stephen.

By the time of the accession of Edward the Confessor in 1042, the mint was well established. It's twelve known moneyers produced every major type [and some varieties, mules and rarities] of Edward throughout his long reign.

We first hear of the Hertford moneyer Sæmær for the Radiate Bust/Small Cross issue in 1044-1046. He may have minted all or some of the previous early issues of Arm and Sceptre, Pacx and Short Cross Voided/Crux. But he is not recorded for these types. He worked with the moneyers Deorsige, Godman and Godwine on the Radiate/Small Cross issue, but only the coins of Sæmær differ from the standard issue. These have four distinctive "square bracket" shapes around the cross on the reverse die [please see example below*]. The mint on these coins is styled HIRTF.

Sæmær is not recorded for striking the Trefoil Quadrilateral, Small Flan or Expanding Cross types, although he may have done so. The mint signature is now HEORT.

The only Edward the Confessor issue questioned by North as being produced at Hertford mint was the Sovereign/Eagles type. I can answer for certain that the type was indeed minted at Hertford as I own one of only two true coins of this class known to exist for Hertford mint. The mint signature is clear on my coin, a cut half, but the moneyer is uncertain. The only other known example, another halfpenny [SCBI 18 : Copenhagen, 1130] names the moneyer as Sæmær. As do the two Sovereign/Hammer Cross mules of Hertford that are recorded. So it is safe to assume that Sæmær was the man also responsible for my coin.

It is also reasonable to assume that the same obverse die was used for all four coins, and the same reverse die for the two cut halves. One day I hope to examine the SCBI coin to determine the die link.

Edward the Confessor. Sovereign/Eagles Type.  .... ON HEORT. One of only two examples known to exist of Hertford mint. From my own cabinet.

As might be expected following on from the aforementioned mules, Sæmær goes on to mint the Hammer Cross type proper. This coinage ends in 1062, and we hear no more from him after this time. He may or may not have coined the Confessor's final issues up until the Conquest.

Sources : EMC/SCBI database website. English Hammered Coinage, Volume One. JJ North. Special thanks to Mike Bonser.

* Coin not from my cabinet. SCBI, American : 562. Fitzwilliam database registration 1030.0562.

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 29/06/2007.
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IV.VIII A vist to the Fitzwilliam Museum Coin Department.

                                Dr. Mark Blackburn and  the unique Quentovic coin of Charlemagne.

                                            13. 06. 07. 

Some months ago whilst talking to Dr. Mark Blackburn in the library of the British and Royal Numismatic Societies, I received an open invitation to visit the Coin and Medal department of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, where he is Keeper of Coins and Medals. Last Wednesday I was able to take Mark up on his very kind offer.

Mark had arranged to meet me at the museum and show me around their collection personally. I must add at this point that I was most appreciative of this, as Mark is normally very busy. So I asked for him at the front desk, as instructed, and was shown to the department by Dr. Adrian Popescu, a pleasant man who is Senior Assistant Keeper and an expert on Roman coinage. Once inside the department I was greeted by Dr. Blackburn, and introduced to other members of the staff : 

Rory Naismith, a Research Student and BNS council member. He is an expert on early Anglo-Saxon coinage, who I had met before.

Dr Martin Allen, Assistant Keeper and expert on Short Cross and other Medieval coinages, who had registered some of my coinage on the Early Medieval database at the Fitzwilliam, and who I had previously met briefly once before.

Dr Elena Screen, Research Associate and a very nice lady, who is Secretary of the BNS, and was very helpful later on showing me the department's books and explaining, among other things, the available study resources. [These include a huge volume of material which had formerly belonged to the highly respected and influential Medieval numismatist Professor Philip Grierson, who sadly passed away in 2006]. I had also met her before.

I then met Ted Buttrey, an American gent and Former Keeper of the museum's Coins and Medals, who in the nicest possible way reminded me of a U.S. comedian I once saw and cant remember the name of. He now looks after the forty thousand or so auction catalogues available to study at the Museum.

Back in the department I recognised four very old and worn pages being studied by Rory [from one or more 18th century numismatic volumes], that I had seen on ebay a few weeks previously. I had bid on them and lost out to Simon Keynes, Professor of Anglo-Saxon studies at Cambridge University !! Mark then offered to show me some of the reserve collection of coins. We started with a large tray full of pennies of Offa and contemporary kings. His vast knowledge of this [and other] areas of coinage was very much in evidence as we sat and discussed the many different types of design and theorised about mints, minting, conquests, runic coins, moneyers, pronounciation, written sources and a host of other topics. Many valuable contributions were also added by Rory, working opposite us, and Elena, working at the far end of the table. It was an interesting experience to compare [in my head] the coins of my own collection with the coins in front of me, especially the rarer varieties, which in some instances the museum has more complete and better quality examples of. A tray of Viking coinage followed and it was obvious that these coins were a love of Mark's as he expertly explained about the famous, and meticulously labelled, hoard coins, his theories on dating and the various cross designs on these coins [especially those of the Seifred/Cnut group of York] and much about the period in which the coins were produced. All the time he patiently answered my many questions and offered his opinion on points of interest whenever I asked him. Once or twice he had to clarify or give an alternate explanation for, some of my beliefs or ideas. Unfortunately Mark could only spare me the morning, but we got through about five large trays of coins, which included handling some great rarities that I would not perhaps have been able to do otherwise. These included coins of Æðelberht of East Anglia, Ceolvulf II of Mercia, Ecgberht II of Kent, Cynðryth [Offa's wife] and several of the ecclesiastical and Viking series of unusual and uncommon coins. We ended the session with Mark looking at half a dozen of my own coins that I had brought along with me to register on the EMC. He found my Ælfwald II most interesting and this led to a short discussion on Northumbrian sceattas [a subject on which I am not particularly knowledgeable, but find most interesting]. Another tray of coins, part of the best privately assembled collection of this kind of coinage ever, was produced and searched until a coin similar to mine was found. There are perhaps only ten coins of this king that we know of.

I must thank Mark again for the time he spent with me, and his patience. It was an absolute pleasure to spend the morning in his company. His also bought us lunch in a pleasant little nearby pub, where we enjoyed further discussion, including, among other things, the museum's Æðelred II coin from the excessively rare mint town, and my home town, of Melton Mowbray, which sadly I did not get to see in the end. In short Mark Blackburn is an absolute gentleman.

Back from lunch Dr. Blackburn handed me over to Rory Naismith, with whom I have discussed early Anglo-Saxon coinage briefly before, both by email and in person. Rory has quite an upper class accent [no offence intended] that takes some getting used to, but he is the nicest chap, and an acknowledged expert on early Anglo-saxon coinage. So inevitably more trays of coinage were brought out, 8th, 9th and 10th century Anglo-Saxon. Cœnvulf, Ceolvulf, Beohtric, Æðelvulf and his sons, Ælfred, Edward the Elder [the department has some very nice regional and design variants of this monarch] and much much more, including halfpennies of the era, which I had never handled before. I felt somewhat more at ease with Rory [referring here only to Mark's reputation and standing, as I was a bit in awe of him], he is an easy person to talk to, and his knowledge seemingly encyclopedic when quoting from obscure books and catalogues. He was very helpful with suggestions to further my research, and most accomodating with coins that I asked to view and handle. Again it was a pleasure to chat with Rory, to discuss different coin types and theories. But especially Offa's pennies. He seems to have a remarkable memory for moneyers names and their associated coin types !! When it was getting late we took my coins through to Dr Allen, so that he could record them. Whilst he was doing this Rory was kind enough to show me some rare coins of Henry I and king Stephen, including many exceptional quality coins from the Conte collection [including SIX Henry I round half pennies !! and several superb coins of the Empress Matilda] that the museum now owns, and York Group and Baronial issues of Stephen that were minted during the Anarchy. I then left the department for half an hour to go to the Early Medieval gallery and view some of the finest rarities that the museum owns. A new variety ◊ffa, Wolf and Twins type runic penny especially caught my eye here. Following this I collected my coins, shook hands with and thanked all of the staff for their kindness and assistance during my visit, and left to catch my train.

I must at this point add a special thanks to Dr Screen for showing me several trays of Early Frankish pennies and Merovingian sceattas [among other coins] during the afternoon. My current research will benefit greatly from viewing in person the coins of Pippin I and Charlemagne. Although perhaps she shouldnt have told me how much the unique Quentovic portrait coin of Charlemagne was worth whilst I was holding it !! Her knowledge of coins of this period, and their publication, was of great help to me.

I had a most enjoyable visit to the Coin and Medal Department of the Fitzwilliam Museum, thanks to the kindness and generosity of the staff. The collection of coins there is one of the three greatest in Britain. The others being the Ashmolian Museum's in Oxford, and of course that of the British Museum. Praise is due to the Fitzwilliam coin department, and indeed the staff, for allowing their coins to be the most accessible for anyone wishing to study them.

Thanks are due to the following for a great day : Dr. Mark Blackburn. Rory Naismith MA. Dr. Elena Screen.

Thanks also to : Dr. Martin Allen. Dr. Adrian Popescu. Professor Ted Buttrey, and anyone else I met but cant remember the names of... and last but certainly not least, The British Numismatic Society.

Any mistakes in this post are my own. If I am made aware of any, I will of course correct them. 

• Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 15/06/2007.
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