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.
- dragonbloodaxe's site
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