Old book about medieval coinage

[Pellinore]

Beside collecting coins I'm a lover of old books, and an old book about coins is often very special. I found a nice and unusual book about early British coinage, published in 1756. As a book it is unusual because of its beautifully crafted, finely engraved title page.

 

The main content is the thirteen engraved plates showing hundreds of coins with descriptions. 

Coins of the British kings between William the Conqueror and Henry VIII, with a remarkable supplement of sceattas from a hoard found at the Isle of Thanet in the easternmost part of Kent (now just an appendix of the duchy of Kent, the straits that separated have been silted up centuries ago). The owner of the hoard "hopes that it may be a means of discovering by Whom, in what Age, or part of Europe they were minted". Apparently in that time the origin of sceattas was not known. 

The above three pictures are fragments of the supplemental plate in the book, 'Nummi Argentei' or just 'Silver Coins'. I found a review mentioning this item in a numismatic journal, then sketching the history of sceatta studies in the course of the last few centuries. 

[expat]

Looks like a fascinating read

[John Conduitt]

Amazing book. They distinguished William I and II, which is more than I can do, although I think they got 24-28 and 34-38 the wrong way around (if it's meant to be in order). William II is the voided cross (24-28), William I is the cross bottonnée over quadrilateral (34-38).

cf numbers 24-28.

William II Rufus Voided Cross Penny, 1092-1095

London. Silver, 1.38g. Crowned bust facing, star either side; + þillelm rei. Voided short cross potent over cross pommée; + þvlfþord on lv (moneyer Wulfword (Wulfweard) on London) (S 1260).

And to be fair, even now the "Whom, in what Age, or part of Europe were minted" isn't known for most sceattas 🤣 They're even not too far from the series we use now (A-Z). Here are a few - attribution is merely wishful thinking 😁

Number 1.

Series J Type 85 Secondary Phase Anglo Saxon Sceatta, 710-760

York. Silver, 0.98g. Diademed head right, crescent ear, pellet lips, protruding chin and braided hair. Outline bird with three tail feathers right on cross pommée, annulet either side, quatrefoil of berries before, trefoils in lower angles (S 802). Found near Kirkburn, North Yorkshire.

Number 3.

Series BI A/C Type 27 Primary Sceatta, 675-690

Essex or East Anglia. Silver, 13mm, 1.12g. Diademed and draped bust right within ouroboros (symbol depicting a serpent eating its own tail). Dove standing right on cross pattée, annulets flanking all within ouroboros; three annulets below (SCBC 777).

Number 5.

Series N Type 41b Two Standing Figures Secondary Phase Anglo Saxon Sceat, 710-760

East Kent/lower Thames. Silver, 1.00g. Two figures forward, wearing long cloaks or naked, cross pommée between and either side, groundline. Monster left, looking back, triple-forked tail, crest left, pellet outline (S 806; SL 52-60, plate coin; SCBI 69, 582 this coin). Ex Tony Abramson.

Number 19.

Series O Type 40 Secondary Phase Anglo Saxon Sceat, 710-760

Wessex. Silver, 1.05g. Figure facing, wearing long tunic, long cross pommée at either side, pellets on shaft of crosses and in field. Monster in flight left, looking back, gaping jaws, crest, raised tail, pellet outline, clawed foot below; foreleg raised above head (Spink 807B plate coin; Sceatta List 55-10 plate coin; Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles 69, 598 this coin). Ex Tony Abramson. Found Wetwang, East Yorkshire, late 2006; EMC 2008.0064.

Number 21, which at least has a name written on it.

Eadberht Class Di Series Y Secondary Sceat, 737-758

York. Silver, 1.00g. Fantastic animal left, cross under tail and triquetra below. Large cross in centre; .EOTBEREhTVF (S 847).

Edited May 30, 2023 by John Conduitt

[Grimulfr]

What a great find!  The only 18th century illustration of Norman coins from this period that I have seen are those of Andrew Ducarel (A Series of above two hundred Anglo-gallic or Norman and Aquitain coins, 1757) and   Thomas Snelling (A View of the Silver Coin and Coinage of England, from the Norman Conquest to the Present Time, 1762).  Both have been digitised and I think you can access them online via Google Books.  I would love to see the illustrations of coins from King Stephen and the period in your volume if you are able to post?  

This is my debut comment on the site - so would like to say hello to all and state how impressed I am by the breadth and quality of member content on here! 

[JeandAcre]

Hearty welcome, @Grimulfr!  ...Just for one, your avatar is The Best!

[ominus1]

1 hour ago, JeandAcre said:

avatar

...i  can't see it real clear...is that a coin of Al-Rashid? 🙂

[John Conduitt]

9 minutes ago, ominus1 said:

...i  can't see it real clear...is that a coin of Al-Rashid? 🙂

Viking, like his name

[ominus1]

..kool book man...i collect old books also...:) (plus a few newer ones with authors i know/knew)

[ominus1]

16 minutes ago, John Conduitt said:

Viking, like his name

..oh...thanks John...i'm glad @Grimulfr is with us...(and not skull splitter ...LD)...welcome 🙂

[Al Kowsky]

On 5/30/2023 at 4:48 PM, Pellinore said:

Beside collecting coins I'm a lover of old books, and an old book about coins is often very special. I found a nice and unusual book about early British coinage, published in 1756. As a book it is unusual because of its beautifully crafted, finely engraved title page.

 

The main content is the thirteen engraved plates showing hundreds of coins with descriptions. 

Coins of the British kings between William the Conqueror and Henry VIII, with a remarkable supplement of sceattas from a hoard found at the Isle of Thanet in the easternmost part of Kent (now just an appendix of the duchy of Kent, the straits that separated have been silted up centuries ago). The owner of the hoard "hopes that it may be a means of discovering by Whom, in what Age, or part of Europe they were minted". Apparently in that time the origin of sceattas was not known. 

The above three pictures are fragments of the supplemental plate in the book, 'Nummi Argentei' or just 'Silver Coins'. I found a review mentioning this item in a numismatic journal, then sketching the history of sceatta studies in the course of the last few centuries. 

Those are beautiful line drawings in the 18th century book, & they are more helpful in identifying coins than modern photos 🤩.

[JeandAcre]

That's a stunning book, @Pellinore.  Wow.

I dearly love old books, along with manuscripts and printed ephemera.  Here are some of the dealer's pics of a brilliant edition of the (sic) memoires of Jean de Joinville, who accompanied Louis IX on his first crusade, in the mid-13th century.  Published, improbably enough, in 1666, the year of London's Plague and Great Fire.

I can't tell you for a fact that I learned more (of my fragmentary) French by this than by other means.  But, Thank you, they're just cool.

...And, by way of catching up with the, um, numismatic angle, why not, here are a gros and  denier tournois of Louis IX.

Edited June 1, 2023 by JeandAcre
Thought of more stuff.

[Coinmaster]

Very nice! I also like the Star Trek items, but that's of topic. 😉

Perhaps helpful is also this below overview. There's much to learn about the sceattas. It's unsure if they are also produced in The Netherlands and if so, where exactly. One of the researchers is looking into the Wodan-sceatta type.

For those who has Facebook, I created some years ago this group about medieval coins with 4.100 members - including many specialists from different countries.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/853231181422839/
 

[Roerbakmix]

46 minutes ago, Coinmaster said:

t's unsure if they are also produced in The Netherlands and if so, where exactly. One of the researchers is looking into the Wodan-sceatta type.

Member of your FB group already 🙂

I  think the attribution of series D and E to the continent can be made with some certainty, especially after the seminal studies by Metcalf and Wybrand op den Velde in 2003 and 2013-4 (Jaarboek). Domburg and Dorestad have been suggested as a prolific mints. Utrecht probably as well (some tremisses e.g. by Madelinus were minted there).

The Wodan sceatta is probably attributable to Ribe, Danmark (see e.g. Feveile study on series X). There has been a exhaustive die study project on Series X, but it has been published quite some time ago by Barret in 1992 (two part thesis, the second part is a die study). 

I have actually posted quite some threads in the continental sceattas (my collection focus) here, and on www.cointalk.com (same username). If you're interested, you could check my post history. 

I dont have my reference work available right now, but a quick look at the (by the way fantastic!) plate:

1    Series J type 85
2    probably merovingian
3    Series B
4    ?
5    Series N type 41b
6    Series X type 31
7    Series K?
8    Series V type 7 (primary-secondary phase)
9    ?
10    Series K
11    ?
12    Series E, VICO type var 1 (primary phase)
13    Series A
14    Series D reverse var 1 (primary phase)
15    Series D, subvariety e (secondary phase)
16    Series K, type 20 (730-40)
17    ?
18    Series E, plumed bird var J
19    Series O (secondary phase)
20    Series M
21    Styca, unsure

I think the styca is the end coin, the youngest coin in the hoard. It's a fascinating mix of primary phase and secondary phase coins. 

 

@Nap can probably add a bit to this thread.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Roerbakmix

[Coinmaster]

Great to hear, thanks! Indeed these are very interesting coin types! Indeed Utrecht is a probable production place of the sceattas. 👍🏻👍🏻

[John Conduitt]

I think one of the problems - other than having no mint named on the coins - is that not only were the designs of each series copied from some previous coin, but they themselves were copied, either by the same mint, nearby mints, or mints at the other end of the trading area (Low Countries to England).

So you can have a Series D, E, G or X that is definitely Continental, another that might be a later design from the same mint or perhaps imitative from the same general area, and then another with a more degraded design that is only found in England. I suspect generally the more basic the design is, and perhaps more abstract, the more likely it is to be English, just as it was with Celtic coins.

[John Conduitt]

50 minutes ago, Roerbakmix said:

Member of your FB group already 🙂

I  think the attribution of series D and E to the continent can be made with some certainty, especially after the seminal studies by Metcalf and Wybrand op den Velde in 2003 and 2013-4 (Jaarboek). Domburg and Dorestad have been suggested as a prolific mints. Utrecht probably as well (some tremisses e.g. by Madelinus were minted there).

The Wodan sceatta is probably attributable to Ribe, Danmark (see e.g. Feveile study on series X). There has been a exhaustive die study project on Series X, but it has been published quite some time ago by Barret in 1992 (two part thesis, the second part is a die study). 

I have actually posted quite some threads in the continental sceattas (my collection focus) here, and on www.cointalk.com (same username). If you're interested, you could check my post history. 

I dont have my reference work available right now, but a quick look at the (by the way fantastic!) plate:

1    Series J type 85
2    probably merovingian
3    Series B
4    ?
5    Series N type 41b
6    Series X type 31
7    Series K?
8    Series V type 7 (primary-secondary phase)
9    ?
10    Series K
11    ?
12    Series E, VICO type var 1 (primary phase)
13    Series A
14    Series D reverse var 1 (primary phase)
15    Series D, subvariety e (secondary phase)
16    Series K, type 20 (730-40)
17    ?
18    Series E, plumed bird var J
19    Series O (secondary phase)
20    Series M
21    Styca, unsure

I think the styca is the end coin, the youngest coin in the hoard. It's a fascinating mix of primary phase and secondary phase coins. 

 

@Nap can probably add a bit to this thread.

The others might be:
4 -  Series O Type 57 (diademed bust / monster, BMC 40/43, a bit like this but with the style of monster as on Type 40).
7 - Triquetra cross, Variety 110 (cf SL 110-70).
9 - Variety 32 (with a single rosette, cf SL 32-40).
11 - Series Q, perhaps QIE or similar, like this. Although the standing figure looks more like those in Series L.
17 - Variety 51 hen left, swan right (cf SL 51-10 if you can make anything out - much clearer in the book!).

[Pellinore]

Thanks for all your comments.

Grimulfr asked for the Stephen page. Here it is. I'm happy to fulfill requests for other pages, as long as I have the book (I'm a bookseller, it will go its way sometime). 

 

[Nap]

16 hours ago, Coinmaster said:

Very nice! I also like the Star Trek items, but that's of topic. 😉

Perhaps helpful is also this below overview. There's much to learn about the sceattas. It's unsure if they are also produced in The Netherlands and if so, where exactly. One of the researchers is looking into the Wodan-sceatta type.

For those who has Facebook, I created some years ago this group about medieval coins with 4.100 members - including many specialists from different countries.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/853231181422839/
 

I guess that pic of the various sceatta types has gotten around.  It’s mine 🙂

[Nap]

In the 1705 issue of Camden’s Britannia, a page of English coins was depicted, containing depictions of a number of copper Northumbrian stycas found at Ripon in 1695.  These coins were in the collection of Archbishop John Sharp of York, an avid early collector who obtained the coins shortly after they were found.  These coins stayed in the collection of the Sharp family for over 300 years, coming to auction in 2017.  Here are two of the coins depicted, numbers 8 and 9, a styca of Eanred by moneyer Brother, and another of Aethelred II by moneyer Eardwulf.

Unlike most of the drawings in coin books, which were somewhat more artistic than the coins themselves, the drawings of the stycas were true to life, and so identification of the actual coins is possible.

I bought the plate from a bookseller some years ago, and the coins I obtained from the Sharp sale.  I regret that I did not buy more in the sale- some of the stycas have resold for significantly more, as the provenance is awesome.

 

 

 

[Coinmaster]

12 minutes ago, Nap said:

I guess that pic of the various sceatta types has gotten around.  It’s mine 🙂

Wow! Good to know! Of course, if you don't want it shared I'll remove the post. 👍🏻👍🏻

[Nap]

On 5/30/2023 at 4:48 PM, Pellinore said:

 

The second coin in this picture is interesting.  It is not a silver coin all.  Rather, it’s a gold thrymsa, of the “EAN” type.  This coin, one of the first thrymsas discovered (almost 100 years before the Crondall hoard) is an extremely rare type.  The illustration is by John White, who was himself a notorious coin forger!

The EAN thrymsas are very rare.  The one illustrated above hasn’t been seen since the 18th century.  Four examples were found in the Crondall hoard.  Two were found recently, one of which was found with other coins and is going through the treasure process, and the other one was a single find and is now in my collection.  All known examples are from the same dies.  I have a theory about the interpretation of the obverse but will save this for another time.

 

[Nap]

14 minutes ago, Coinmaster said:

Wow! Good to know! Of course, if you don't want it shared I'll remove the post. 👍🏻👍🏻

Nah, it’s fine.  I shared it publicly.

[Grimulfr]

Many thanks Pelinore - that's very interesting.  Until late in the nineteenth century, it was thought that coin number 12 was struck in the name of Eustace, the son of King Stephen.  These coins are now considered as baronial coins issued under the name of Eustace FitzJohn, a Yorkshire magnate.  Similarly coin 11 (a "Two Figures" type) is now generally regarded to depict Stephen and his wife, Queen Matilda of Boulogne rather than Stephen and his son Eustace.  Coin number 3 is a flag type penny - the flag (or standard) is thought to celebrate the Battle of the Standard where the army of David I of Scotland was defeated near Northallerton.  The illustration for this coin shows an unusual reverse - I think the illustrator has tried to interpret the symbols which are usually found in the reverse legends; all of these coins are thought to have been struck at York and none are known with a London mint signature like this. 

[Grimulfr]

Nap - that's great; the english coins appear to stop at Harold I - does this volume also illustrate any norman coins? I recall that the Archbishop Sharp sale contained an incredible example of the Eustace FitzJohn standing type penny (number 12 in Pellinore's excerpt) as well as a Two Figures type (number 11) - as you mention, incredible provenance! 

[Nap]

13 minutes ago, Grimulfr said:

Nap - that's great; the english coins appear to stop at Harold I - does this volume also illustrate any norman coins? I recall that the Archbishop Sharp sale contained an incredible example of the Eustace FitzJohn standing type penny (number 12 in Pellinore's excerpt) as well as a Two Figures type (number 11) - as you mention, incredible provenance! 

I have other plates which may be from different editions of Camden too and show other coins including Norman I believe.  They’re hanging in my office- I’ll get a pic of them later for you.