Medieval Monday

[lordmarcovan]

Here’s a penny of Edward the Confessor I scooped up not long ago.

[Curtisimo]

Here is a humble but fun Medieval coin for the thread.

Feudal France
Anonymous; Bishopric of Le Puy-en-Velay
BI Denier, Le Puy mint, struck ca. 11th – 12th century AD
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 0.9 g
Obv.: Cross with four arms
Rev.: Cross with six arms

My Notes:
The city and Bishopric of Le Puy were formed around Mont Anis where a shrine to the Virgin Mary and then a Christian cathedral replaced an earlier pagan holy site (ca. 5th century?). The city was the starting point of the most popular pilgrimage route of the Middle Ages in France. French kings as far back as Charlemagne visited the location. There was a legend that the Virgin Mary had appeared to a sick widow at the site.

The bishopric of Le Puy was unusual in that it received the right to mint its own coins in AD 924. It vied with a rival mint under the Polignac family. This meant that neither mint could debase the coins for fear that the opposing mint would gain supremacy as the dominant currency of the region. The right of the bishopric to mint coins was reaffirmed by the French king in the 11th century.

Le Puy-en-Velay with the Cathedral shown at right and Mont Anis at left. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Edited July 4, 2022 by Curtisimo

[JeandAcre]

Here's another Henry, No. III; known for a somewhat more benign coinage reform of his own, the remarkably artistic Long Cross pennies.  (For a very worthy example of those, see esp. @UkrainiiVityaz's earlier post, right here.)  This, of course, predates that.  Near as I can tell, it's a Class 6c; his very first issue, c. 1216-1217/8.  (Rev., from 9 o'clock:) +RAVLF ON LVNDE.)

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by JeandAcre

[JeandAcre]

2 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

Here’s a penny of Edward the Confessor I scooped up not long ago.

Wow, @lordmarcovan, it's Fantastic to see you here!  And a Very auspicious reintroduction, I must say.  The annulet variant on the reverse is very fetching.

[ewomack]

Henry III Penny, Voided Long Cross, Class 3c, 1248 - 1250, Nicole - London, crowned facing bust of Henry, i.m. star, HENRICVS REX III, rev., voided long cross with trefoil of pellets in each angle, NICOLE ON LVND, (N.988; S.1364)

[John Conduitt]

20 minutes ago, ewomack said:

Henry III Penny, Voided Long Cross, Class 3c, 1248 - 1250, Nicole - London, crowned facing bust of Henry, i.m. star, HENRICVS REX III, rev., voided long cross with trefoil of pellets in each angle, NICOLE ON LVND, (N.988; S.1364)

Nice example. I have two Henry III coins struck by Nicole of London. He seems to have struck a vast number of coins. Here's a 3d. I think. It still comes under S 1364, though. My phone makes it look very shiny, although the legends have more flat spots.

Henry III Class 3d1 Long Cross Penny, 1250London. Silver, 18-19mm, 1.50g. Crowned head facing, annulet eyes with pellet, pellet between hair curls, pointed beard, neck lines, no sceptre, wedge-shaped R; hENRICVS REX: III'. Voided long cross, three pellets in each angle; NIC OLE ONL VND (moneyer Nicholas of London) (S 1364). From the Brussels (Belgium) Hoard 1908. Ex Michael Trenerry.

[seth77]

There is an undeserved lack of Frankish Greece coinage here. SO:

Isabella de Villehardouin as Princess of Achaea (sole reign 1297-1301)
AR18mm, 0.75g, billon denier tournois, 312/1000, mint Glarentza/Corinth(?), cca. 1301.
+ trefoil YSABЄLLA ꞏ P ' ACh trefoil; Cross pattee
+ * DЄ CLARЄNCIA *; chateau tournois.
cf. Malloy 16, Metcalf XXXIX, 8, Tzamalis Elis/1964 Hoard p. 272 IV B1, Baker IV B1var p. 1400

After the death of Florent d'Avesnes-Hainaut, Isabella (his wife and heiress to the Villehardouin claims) ruled alone until 1301 and after 1299 (Tzamalis p. 104) coinage was minted in her name in both Glarentza and Corinth(?). This specimen has very interesting stops and the lettering and style are specific to the secondary mint -- the specific Λ-shaped spire -- dating likely to the end of Isabella's sole reign in 1301 (J. Baker et al - The Height of Denier Tournois... p. 277).

The multitude of specimens minted in the name of Isabella might indicate either that this type extends longer than just her sole rule between the two marriages, into her joint reign with Philippe de Savoia after 1301 or that the recoinage of 1299 meant a new input of coinage minted for Isabella that replaced completely the tournois that were on the market prior to it. This means that the coins were recalled, melted and reissued with the new legends and new privy marks, starting with a terminus post quem of 1299.

This particular specimen is obviously later than the deniers issued for Florent on the account of the decorative elements being so different and rather unique. The whole coinage in the name of Isabella is thus unique in its circumstances (Tzamalis pp. 104-105 and Graph 3). If we accept the working hypothesis of two distinct mints (Glarentza and Corinth) of Tzamalis, there might be a mistake in Malloy p. 362, assigning the type to Glarentza rather than Corinth, or some of the specimens assigned to Malloy 16 are likely Glarentza and others Corinth, which might call of splitting the type on account of spire shape and style. On the other hand, according to Baker et al the Morean deniers tournois were minted only at Glarentza, by different workshops with different material outputs.

[LONGINUS]

7 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

Here’s a penny of Edward the Confessor I

Great to see that your forces have crossed the Channel, Your Lordship 😊 !

— LONGIINUS aka Deacon Ray

Edited July 4, 2022 by LONGINUS

[JeandAcre]

33 minutes ago, seth77 said:

There is an undeserved lack of Frankish Greece coinage here. SO:

Isabella de Villehardouin as Princess of Achaea (sole reign 1297-1301)
AR18mm, 0.75g, billon denier tournois, 312/1000, mint Glarentza/Corinth(?), cca. 1301.
+ trefoil YSABЄLLA ꞏ P ' ACh trefoil; Cross pattee
+ * DЄ CLARЄNCIA *; chateau tournois.
cf. Malloy 16, Metcalf XXXIX, 8, Tzamalis Elis/1964 Hoard p. 272 IV B1, Baker IV B1var p. 1400

After the death of Florent d'Avesnes-Hainaut, Isabella (his wife and heiress to the Villehardouin claims) ruled alone until 1301 and after 1299 (Tzamalis p. 104) coinage was minted in her name in both Glarentza and Corinth(?). This specimen has very interesting stops and the lettering and style are specific to the secondary mint -- the specific Λ-shaped spire -- dating likely to the end of Isabella's sole reign in 1301 (J. Baker et al - The Height of Denier Tournois... p. 277).

The multitude of specimens minted in the name of Isabella might indicate either that this type extends longer than just her sole rule between the two marriages, into her joint reign with Philippe de Savoia after 1301 or that the recoinage of 1299 meant a new input of coinage minted for Isabella that replaced completely the tournois that were on the market prior to it. This means that the coins were recalled, melted and reissued with the new legends and new privy marks, starting with a terminus post quem of 1299.

This particular specimen is obviously later than the deniers issued for Florent on the account of the decorative elements being so different and rather unique. The whole coinage in the name of Isabella is thus unique in its circumstances (Tzamalis pp. 104-105 and Graph 3). If we accept the working hypothesis of two distinct mints (Glarentza and Corinth) of Tzamalis, there might be a mistake in Malloy p. 362, assigning the type to Glarentza rather than Corinth, or some of the specimens assigned to Malloy 16 are likely Glarentza and others Corinth, which might call of splitting the type on account of spire shape and style. On the other hand, according to Baker et al the Morean deniers tournois were minted only at Glarentza, by different workshops with different material outputs.

Your usual brilliant stuff, @seth77.  Needing your notice of the dynastic continuity of the Villehardouins. 

...Which invites the question, can you recommend anything by way of responsible, secondary history of these later intervals, especially in Frankish Greece?  ...For instance, in English, and not stratospheric, given the likely convergence of an academic press, and being out of print?  ...If that amounts to a pipe dream, just, Never Mind.

[seth77]

For "just" the history I still use Hazard (ed.) II and III, for numismatics I use Tzamalis - Coins of the Frankish Occupation of Greece 1184-1566 and Baker - Coinage and Money in Medieval Greece 1200-1430.

 

[JeandAcre]

Many thanks --including for your resonantly implicit acknowledgment of the structural backwardness of earlier, mostly monodimensional, 'political' history.  (As if history, in all of its subdisciplines, admits of that kind of reductionistic taxonomy.  Thank you, last I checked, there's so much overlap between the cultural and political spheres --especially thanks to the common rhetorical dimension-- that the two emphases are effectively swimming in the same pool).  ...And, never having gotten the whole set, I only have II of Hazard.  (Well, along with IV, V and VI.)  Time to go trolling for a copy of III.  

[shanxi]

Two medieval coins from Freiburg, Germany

Freiburg im Breisgau
AR Brakteat
AD ca. 1300
Obv.: Head of raven/eagle left, cross to the left
Rev.: -
AR, 0.41g, 16mm
Ref.: Freiburger Münzen und Medaillen No. 2; Slg. Ulmer 1472; Wielandt 46

 

Freiburg im Breisgau
AR Brakteat
Rappen
AD ca. 1350
Obv.: Head of raven left, circle to left
Rev.: -
AR, 0.31g, 18mm
Ref.: Freiburger Münzen und Medaillen No. 5

[UkrainiiVityaz]

 

Scotland David I (1124-1153) AR Penny

 

Researchers have long debated whom was the first Scottish King to have actually instituted a native Scottish coinage. Whilst the Kingdom of Northumbria encompassed parts of Scotland up to the Forth River, it is believed that all of the Northumbrian coinage was minted in the south, ie York. Occasionally these coins are found in southern Scotland. Ca. 1980 there was a report in the press about a researcher determining that a coin was minted during the reign of Ecfrith of Deira and Northumbria (664-670 AD) in Scotland, but subsequent research has determined that this theory is not with due merit.

Earlier volumes on Scottish Coinage, such as "The Coinage of Scotland" by J.D. Robertson have suggested that the first native Scottish coins were issued during the reign of Alexander I (1107-1124) however this is 19th century research, which has since been disproven. Without a doubt, David I issued coins in his name, and therefore is most likely the first Scottish monarch to have actually issued them as such.

The first Scottish coins are believed to be those issued by King David I(1124-1153), previous to this time very few coins ever found their way into Scotland, though some Roman era and Northumbrian sceats are very occasionally found. The first issue of coins was ca. 1136, and was likely connected to the Scottish capture of Carlisle and it's mines. Even after the introduction of a native coinage, barter continued to the basis for the economy for many years.

David I was the youngest son of Malcolm Canmore (1058-1093) and the third son to have acceded the throne after his father. His early years appear to have been spent in England, the birthplace of his mother, Margaret(whom was the sister of Edgar The Aetheling.) With his mother's sponsorship, and given his lower rank in the possibility of his inheriting the throne he spent much of his youth in the Church and was an accomplished student. In 1113 he was married to Matilda, whom was the daughter of the Earl of Northumberland. With this marriage he acquired lands south of the Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, Huntington and Northampton. This acquisition would result in his being recognised as a Norman Baron. David's older brother, Alexander I, soon would recognise David as the sub-king of the Scottish lowlands as a result.

In 1124 Alexander I died and the throne again was inherited by a son of Malcolm Canmore and David I would soon have the opportunity to forge Scotland into a united kingdom once more, as divisions existed from the earlier disputed monarchs of Scotland. Some of the legacies which were instituted during this reign included the creation of the counties of Scotland, which in effect lasted until 1975.

Whilst there was a sound degree of harmony in Scotland, the opposite was true of her southern neighbour, England. The first English Civil War was in full swing, with Stephen (1135-1154) as King of England defending himself against Matilda, whom was the daughter of Henry with purportedly a better claim at the throne. Whilst the explanation of the English Civil War would take up volumes, it can be summarised in that David I of Scotland soon saw opportunity knocking and moved south in favour of his niece, Matilda in 1135. Despite having made this move, it is in retrospect, obvious that he was looking more for acquisition than assisting Matilda, as subsequently his support could be described as lukewarm at best.

The move south resulted in the Scots acquiring Carlisle, with it's nearby mines, and importantly for coin collectors, it's mint. Coins had been struck in the name of Stephen since the previous year. The capture of the mint resulted in some coins in Stephen's name still being struck after the capture, but soon they began changing the dies and issued pennies in David's name.

Many of the coins issued during this reign are quite similar to the English issues of Stephen, and this has led to some confusion given the fact that all of the coins from this era were quite crude by comparison with earlier issues. Workmanship on the coins had deteriorated, and legends on the coins were often blundered, the result of uneducated die cutters creating the coins. All of the coins of this era featured a portrait of the monarch, or more likely during this time a crude representation of him. The reverse was usually a short cross with pellets in the quarters of it. Later in the reign coins were minted in Berwick, Perth, Roxburgh and Edinburgh.

Denominations used during this reign

Silver

Penny

Pennies were the only denomination struck, they were struck at 22.5 grains weight at .925 fine ie sterling standard. They are divided into the following classes:

Period A or First Issue(ca. 1136-1144):
      As Henry I(of England) but with DAVIT REX minted at Carlisle, then a possession of the Scots. This coin is S-5001 and SD11D-005. This coin is extremely rare.

      As Stephen I(of England) but with STIEFNE REX minted at Carlisle, then a possession of the Scots. This coin is S-5002 and SD11D-010. This coin is very rare.

      Like Stephen coin above but with DAVIT REX minted at Edinburgh. This coin is S-5003 and SD11D-015. This coin is extremely rare.

Period B or Second Issue(ca. 1144-1149):
      Blundered and poorly executed copy of Stephen's coins minted at Edinburgh and Roxburgh, This coin is S-5004 and SD11D-020. This coin is very rare, but one of the most common types found of David I's coinage.

      Henry I(of England) but with DAVIT REX and annulet or crescent enclosing pellet; minted at Carlisle, Berwick, Edinburgh, Perth & Roxburgh. This coin is S-5005 and SD11D-025. This coin is extremely rare.

      Bishop of Carlisle minted at Carlisle, king holding a branch. This coin is S-5006 and SD11D-030. This coin is extremely rare.

Period C or Third Issue(ca. 1149-1153):
      Coins of better workmanship, with DAVIT REX and crowned bust with sceptre. Minted at Carlisle, Roxburgh, St. Andrews and Berwick. Usually with single pellet in angles. This coin is S-5007 and SD11D-035. This coin is rare, but one of the most common types found of David I's coinage.

      Similar but has other symbols instead of pellets in angles. This coin is S-5008 and SD11D-035. This coin is rare.

Period D or Fourth Issue(ca. 1153):
      DAVIT REX etc., sometimes retrograde legends and crude bust. This coin is S-5009 and SD11D-040. This coin is very rare.

      Blundered and retrograde legends still, but better style of King's bust. This coin is S-5010 and SD11D-045. This coin is very rare.
 

Collecting coins from this reign

Collecting the coins of David I are quite challenging, as all of them are very rare nowadays. When they are found, it is usually a unique find, and not as a hoard. In scanning through important auctions of Scottish coinage, for example the Dundee Sale of 1976 it is notable that this reign is only scarcely represented. In fact in that auction of hundreds of Scottish coins there were only two lots from this reign. Currently, lower graded and properly identified coins from this reign start out at approximately £600 each. Collectors should exercise caution as there are very many similar English pennies, most of which are quite more common.

 

[VD76]

Rhodes Under Palaeologan Rule 

AE 1.4 g

Obv : Palaeologan monogram.

Rev : Cross , Palaeologan monogram -  B in angles.

 Double struck ? Same dies ? Both sides are almost identical . Can anyone  explain how this happened ? 

[Severus Alexander]

20 minutes ago, VD76 said:

Rhodes Under Palaeologan Rule 

AE 1.4 g

Obv : Palaeologan monogram.

Rev : Cross , Palaeologan monogram -  B in angles.

 Double struck ? Same dies ? Both sides are almost identical . Can anyone  explain how this happened ? 

Wow, that is indeed bizarre!  I guess a very fortunate flip-over double strike that just happened to produce basically the same pattern on both sides?  Very cool! 👍

[John Conduitt]

7 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

Wow, that is indeed bizarre!  I guess a very fortunate flip-over double strike that just happened to produce basically the same pattern on both sides?  Very cool! 👍

Presumably, this is the only possibility, unless it was meant to be like that.

[John Conduitt]

Henry VI First Reign Pinecone-Mascle/(Leaf) Trefoil Mule Groat, 1434-1435Calais. Silver, 28mm, 3.92g. Crowned facing bust within tressure of arches; lis at cusps; +hENRIC.DI.GRA.REX.ANGL.S.FRANC, pinecones after HENRIC, DI and GRA, saltire after REX; cross patonce initial mark both sides; crosses IIIb/IIIb. Long cross pattée; triple pellets in quarters; +POSVI DEVM:A DIVTOR EMEVM; VIL:LA: CALI SIE CALI over SIV (cf S 1875/1899). Ex Ivan Buck. From the Reigate Brokes Road (Surrey) Hoard 1990, struck from the same reverse die as a Calais Trefoil issue groat in the Reigate Hoard.

[ewomack]

France-Lorraine 1506 - 1544 1/2 Gros or Double Blanc

[UkrainiiVityaz]

Scotland Queen Mary (1542 ~ 1567) Half Lion or 22/-

 

Gold 22 Shillings, crowned shield, I G either side, rev. crowned monogram MR, date in legend, 2.49gms S.5396. The I G on both sides of the shield are for James, Earl of Arran, Governor of Scotland. Curiously, he was next in line to the Scottish throne, being descended from James II. He was appointed regent in 1542, and would subsequently negotiate with the French for Mary's marriage to the Dauphin Francis. For his efforts he was created Duke of Chatellerault. In 1554 the regency was surrendered to Marie of Guise, Queen Mary's mother. The Latin legends on this coin, Maria Dei Gra R Scotorum translates to Mary Queen of the Scots, whilst on the reverse Diligit Iusticiam translates to observe justice. This particular coin is S-5396, and SMA22S-005.

[Prieure de Sion]

35 minutes ago, UkrainiiVityaz said:

Scotland Queen Mary (1542 ~ 1567) Half Lion or 22/-

Bloody Mary! What would you take for this coin from me? One of my fingers? My left Ear? My Scalp? Tell me with PN 😄 

[JeandAcre]

...Well, except, Bloody Mary was the slightly earlier Tudor one, who married one of the leading Spanish Habsburgs (forget which one).  She was Catholic, like Mary of Scots, and killed a few Protestants over the mid-16th entury; hence the name.

But you could give Mary of Scots the same epithet, only because the next Tudor, Elizabeth I (Protestant, again) returned the favor by having that Mary beheaded.  ...A period when Christians were taking a time out from killing members of other faiths, and enthusiastically doing it to each other.

[JeandAcre]

On 7/5/2022 at 10:27 AM, UkrainiiVityaz said:

 

Scotland David I (1124-1153) AR Penny

 

Researchers have long debated whom was the first Scottish King to have actually instituted a native Scottish coinage. Whilst the Kingdom of Northumbria encompassed parts of Scotland up to the Forth River, it is believed that all of the Northumbrian coinage was minted in the south, ie York. Occasionally these coins are found in southern Scotland. Ca. 1980 there was a report in the press about a researcher determining that a coin was minted during the reign of Ecfrith of Deira and Northumbria (664-670 AD) in Scotland, but subsequent research has determined that this theory is not with due merit.

Earlier volumes on Scottish Coinage, such as "The Coinage of Scotland" by J.D. Robertson have suggested that the first native Scottish coins were issued during the reign of Alexander I (1107-1124) however this is 19th century research, which has since been disproven. Without a doubt, David I issued coins in his name, and therefore is most likely the first Scottish monarch to have actually issued them as such.

The first Scottish coins are believed to be those issued by King David I(1124-1153), previous to this time very few coins ever found their way into Scotland, though some Roman era and Northumbrian sceats are very occasionally found. The first issue of coins was ca. 1136, and was likely connected to the Scottish capture of Carlisle and it's mines. Even after the introduction of a native coinage, barter continued to the basis for the economy for many years.

David I was the youngest son of Malcolm Canmore (1058-1093) and the third son to have acceded the throne after his father. His early years appear to have been spent in England, the birthplace of his mother, Margaret(whom was the sister of Edgar The Aetheling.) With his mother's sponsorship, and given his lower rank in the possibility of his inheriting the throne he spent much of his youth in the Church and was an accomplished student. In 1113 he was married to Matilda, whom was the daughter of the Earl of Northumberland. With this marriage he acquired lands south of the Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, Huntington and Northampton. This acquisition would result in his being recognised as a Norman Baron. David's older brother, Alexander I, soon would recognise David as the sub-king of the Scottish lowlands as a result.

In 1124 Alexander I died and the throne again was inherited by a son of Malcolm Canmore and David I would soon have the opportunity to forge Scotland into a united kingdom once more, as divisions existed from the earlier disputed monarchs of Scotland. Some of the legacies which were instituted during this reign included the creation of the counties of Scotland, which in effect lasted until 1975.

Whilst there was a sound degree of harmony in Scotland, the opposite was true of her southern neighbour, England. The first English Civil War was in full swing, with Stephen (1135-1154) as King of England defending himself against Matilda, whom was the daughter of Henry with purportedly a better claim at the throne. Whilst the explanation of the English Civil War would take up volumes, it can be summarised in that David I of Scotland soon saw opportunity knocking and moved south in favour of his niece, Matilda in 1135. Despite having made this move, it is in retrospect, obvious that he was looking more for acquisition than assisting Matilda, as subsequently his support could be described as lukewarm at best.

The move south resulted in the Scots acquiring Carlisle, with it's nearby mines, and importantly for coin collectors, it's mint. Coins had been struck in the name of Stephen since the previous year. The capture of the mint resulted in some coins in Stephen's name still being struck after the capture, but soon they began changing the dies and issued pennies in David's name.

Many of the coins issued during this reign are quite similar to the English issues of Stephen, and this has led to some confusion given the fact that all of the coins from this era were quite crude by comparison with earlier issues. Workmanship on the coins had deteriorated, and legends on the coins were often blundered, the result of uneducated die cutters creating the coins. All of the coins of this era featured a portrait of the monarch, or more likely during this time a crude representation of him. The reverse was usually a short cross with pellets in the quarters of it. Later in the reign coins were minted in Berwick, Perth, Roxburgh and Edinburgh.

Denominations used during this reign

Silver

Penny

Pennies were the only denomination struck, they were struck at 22.5 grains weight at .925 fine ie sterling standard. They are divided into the following classes:

Period A or First Issue(ca. 1136-1144):
      As Henry I(of England) but with DAVIT REX minted at Carlisle, then a possession of the Scots. This coin is S-5001 and SD11D-005. This coin is extremely rare.

      As Stephen I(of England) but with STIEFNE REX minted at Carlisle, then a possession of the Scots. This coin is S-5002 and SD11D-010. This coin is very rare.

      Like Stephen coin above but with DAVIT REX minted at Edinburgh. This coin is S-5003 and SD11D-015. This coin is extremely rare.

Period B or Second Issue(ca. 1144-1149):
      Blundered and poorly executed copy of Stephen's coins minted at Edinburgh and Roxburgh, This coin is S-5004 and SD11D-020. This coin is very rare, but one of the most common types found of David I's coinage.

      Henry I(of England) but with DAVIT REX and annulet or crescent enclosing pellet; minted at Carlisle, Berwick, Edinburgh, Perth & Roxburgh. This coin is S-5005 and SD11D-025. This coin is extremely rare.

      Bishop of Carlisle minted at Carlisle, king holding a branch. This coin is S-5006 and SD11D-030. This coin is extremely rare.

Period C or Third Issue(ca. 1149-1153):
      Coins of better workmanship, with DAVIT REX and crowned bust with sceptre. Minted at Carlisle, Roxburgh, St. Andrews and Berwick. Usually with single pellet in angles. This coin is S-5007 and SD11D-035. This coin is rare, but one of the most common types found of David I's coinage.

      Similar but has other symbols instead of pellets in angles. This coin is S-5008 and SD11D-035. This coin is rare.

Period D or Fourth Issue(ca. 1153):
      DAVIT REX etc., sometimes retrograde legends and crude bust. This coin is S-5009 and SD11D-040. This coin is very rare.

      Blundered and retrograde legends still, but better style of King's bust. This coin is S-5010 and SD11D-045. This coin is very rare.
 

Collecting coins from this reign

Collecting the coins of David I are quite challenging, as all of them are very rare nowadays. When they are found, it is usually a unique find, and not as a hoard. In scanning through important auctions of Scottish coinage, for example the Dundee Sale of 1976 it is notable that this reign is only scarcely represented. In fact in that auction of hundreds of Scottish coins there were only two lots from this reign. Currently, lower graded and properly identified coins from this reign start out at approximately £600 each. Collectors should exercise caution as there are very many similar English pennies, most of which are quite more common.

 

@UkrainiiVityaz, that incredible coin, and your commensurate erudition, are blowing my head off.

So happens, I have a Carlisle cut half that Just Might correspond to Sear 5002.  

This will be mostly lifted from an old, offline document that, well, let's just say, I'll probably be done before it is.  You're owed an apology for the execrable pictures, and the caveat that the link to the Fitzwilliam's Conte Collection no longer works.

 (???) Henry of Scots, Earl of Huntingdon c. 1136- c. 1152, Earl of Northumberland 1139- c. 1152.

   

AR cut halfpenny of Carlisle, issued in the name of King Stephen.  Cross moline / ‘Watford’ type, originally issued c. 1136-1145.
Obv.  Collar, forearm and right hand of Stephen.
[From c. 8 o’clock:] +STI[EFNE REX]  (‘STIEFNE REX;’ King Stephen).
Rev.  Right half of a cross moline, fleurs de lis in each angle. 
[From 1 o’clock:]  +E[R]EB/ [-\LD ON CA] R.  (‘[H]EREBALD ON CAR[LISLE].)
North 873, Spink (England) 1278.  Cf. Spink /Seaby (Scotland) 5002; citing Stewart, fig. 290. 
    The ‘Watford’ issues of Carlisle have recently been reassigned from official issues of Stephen to autonomous ones of Henry of Scots, on the basis of Scots control of Carlisle during the period.  The problem provides an interesting instance of the dialectic between historical and specifically numismatic research.  On the numismatic evidence, the historian David Crouch has argued that Carlisle was part of ‘a continuing English [royal], not Scots, polity....well into the 1140s, when the local issues of King David [of Scots] and Earl Henry superseded [the ‘Watford’ coinage]’ (David Crouch, The Reign of King Stephen (Harlow, Essex /London, Longman /Pearson, 2000), 323 and n. 13). 
    More recently, the Fitzwilliam Museum, on its website for the Conte Collection of Norman and Angevin coins, has reassigned the ‘Watford’ coinage of Carlisle to Henry of Scots, on the basis of the earlier, historical consensus that “Carlisle was established as a mint c. 1123 by Henry I, but it was captured in January 1136 by the Scots under whose control it remained until 1157.”  (The entry for this issue is found below: [well, except that now, the link is broken] http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/conte/gallery/gallery_09.html.)  As Matthew elaborates, Henry of Huntingdon’s father, David I of Scots, lost no time exploiting the instability of Stephen’s reign.  “Hav[ing] seen Henry I’s creation of a new bishopric at Carlisle in 1133 as a bid to consolidate the very recently imposed English control over Cumbria[, David was] determin[ed] to restore some independence of action after years of English protection, and his plans involved recovery of lands not only in Cumbria but in northern-eastern England, [at the opposite end of the border,] which he believed to be properly subject to the kings of Scotland.”  (Matthew, Donald.  King Stephen.  London: Hambledon and London, 2003.  P. 69.)

...From this line, there's some late-breaking news.  First, North --prior to the reassignment of this mint as a Scots issue-- confirms the variant rendering of the moneyer, Erembald's name as 'Erebald.'  According to him, this monyer only appears on coins of Carlisle and "Eden," whch he speculates is a variant mint name for Carlisle (p. 204).  Reciprocally, this amazing article, which I just found online, confirms the variant mint name as 'CAR,' vis. North's sole rendering, 'CARD.'  https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital BNJ/pdfs/2013_BNJ_83_6.pdf

Honestly, I had no idea of the rarity of these; I just thought that --unless, of course, I'm completely off-- it was a cool convergence of numismatic and historical dynamics.

 
 

Edited July 11, 2022 by JeandAcre

[UkrainiiVityaz]

@JeandAcre A big issue with the research of British Isle coins in that era is the 1st English Civil War was in full swing and chaos reigned supreme throughout the islands.  A lot of documentation from ecclesiastical sources suffered severely during that time so that there are instances where control over areas especially in the mid of Great Britain are not well known.  As bad as it was south of Hadrian's Wall, it was far worse north of the border.  Rulers are documented, but get into mid level and lower levels of governance and the record is particularly slight.

 

In essence that makes that era rather intriguing for me.  I've owned and still own several English pennies and cuts from that era, but one I would love to own is the Queen/Empress Matilda penny that was issued during Stephen's unreign.

Another matter of importance is that earldoms were cast out like candy, north and south of the border.  As much as it was a factor in the 12th century, it came to the fore in the early 14th whence Robert de Brus aka Robert I of Scotland held earldoms in the English  north which pre-empted his involvement in the early part of the Scottish rebellion commenced by William Wallace, but middled and finished by Robert.

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by UkrainiiVityaz

[UkrainiiVityaz]

1 hour ago, JeandAcre said:

...Well, except, Bloody Mary was the slightly earlier Tudor one, who married one of the leading Spanish Habsburgs (forget which one).  She was Catholic, like Mary of Scots, and killed a few Protestants over the mid-16th entury; hence the name.

But you could give Mary of Scots the same epithet, only because the next Tudor, Elizabeth I (Protestant, again) returned the favor by having that Mary beheaded.  ...A period when Christians were taking a time out from killing members of other faiths, and enthusiastically doing it to each other.

Queen Mary wedded to King Philip of Spain - a quite consequential marriage even after Mary's untimely demise.  Because King Philip viewed himself as the defender of the faith, and Queen Elizabeth as a heretic.  He believed he had claim to the throne vis a vis his marriage to Queen Mary, and sought ardently to partake of that culminating in the failed Spanish Armada of 1588.

Queen Elizabeth was a fascinating character, she was put into an untenable position in 1586-7 by her cousin's continued antics.  Queen Mary of Scotland was not an overly ambitious character, but her supporters were - and they were responsible ultimately for her demise culminating with Queen Elizabeth signing her death warrant.

[JeandAcre]

Yes, @UkrainiiVityaz, you're spot on about the broader historical context.  Largely thanks to genealogy, I'm orders of magnitude more invested in that than in the coins.

Pretty emphatically including the earldoms.  ...In particular, you nailed it regarding the Bruses (sic).  Cf. this post:

 

...Well, okay, the actual post isn't showing up, so I'll just paste the relevant part.

…Now, we get somewhere.  This is the latest one I bought; another UK detector find.

 

Gules (red), a saltire (“X”) and chief (band across the top) or.

From my principal reference for Anglo-Norman heraldry (that is, of the predominantly Anglo-Norman aristocracy of the Angevin period), along with an ancillary one, this corresponds to exactly one person.  This is Richard de Brus (Bruce), an uncle of Robert I, King of Scotland.  Richard predeceased his own father, leaving no heirs.

https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTLAND.htm#RobertBrusdied1295

…And his coat of arms never appeared in a later generation.  It shows up in several English rolls of arms of the later 13th century, including one a few years after his demise, but always in his own name.

It was sold unattributed by a dealer on UK ebay who sells lots of detector finds.  Here I think I’ve struck gold.  Sad as the story is (...and, really, the pendant isn’t much prettier in hand than the picture shows), there’s exactly one person to associate with this blazon.

 

References.  

Ashley, Steven.  Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology Report No. 101, 2002.

Baker, John.  ‘The Earliest Armorial Harness Pendants.’  The Coat of Arms 3rd ser. 11 (2015), no. 229, pp. 1-24.

Humpherey-Smith, Cecil.  Anglo-Norman Armory Two: An Ordinary of Thirteenth-Century Armorials.  Canterbury: The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, 1984.

Edited June 2 by JeandAcre

It was from the reign of King David that members of the Anglo-Norman aristocracy (along with an urban middle class, some of it conspicuously Flemish) were enlisted to settle in Scotland.  In that capacity, David was seamlessly following the generationally recent precedent of Henry I of England, who initiated a trend which only accelerated under Stephen.  Thanks to Henry, and as of his reign, as much of the 12th-century Anglo-Norman baronage --thank you, in England-- had arrived after the Conquest, directly from Normandy, as had arrived with William.

Edited July 12, 2022 by JeandAcre