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This report concerns four silver pennies of William I (1066-87). The coins were found on separate occasions between September 2008 and April 2009, but all were found within the same area of c. 20m². All four coins are of the same type, the Two Sceptres type (BMC iv) of William I, and all were struck at the mint of Gloucester. Three of the coins (one of which survives as a fragment) were struck by the moneyer Leofwine, and all three of these were struck from the same dies. The fourth was struck by the moneyer Sigelac or Seolcwine (represented here as SILAC). Coins of this period are rare, and coins of the Gloucester mint particularly so, with only one example of this type previously recorded from the Gloucester mint, to the best of my knowledge. Given the proximity of the finds, and the similarity of the coins, there is no reasonable doubt that the coins were originally part of the same deposit, although they were not all found together. They should therefore be considered as a single find for Treasure purposes.
As four associated coins, these represent potential Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996). Although the coins have not been analysed for silver content, sufficient analyses have been carried out on other coins of the period to be certain that the silver content of all four coins would be well over 10%. Taken together with the dating of the coins, the four coins represent in my opinion a prima facie case of Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996).

Gareth Williams
Curator of Early Medieval Coinage
The British Museum
26.5.2010

Catalogue
1. Silver penny, William I (1066-87), Two Sceptres (BMC iv), moneyer Leofwine of Gloucester
Obv: Crowned bust facing, sceptre to either side. +PILLEMREXANGLO
Rev: Cross fleury with annulet in centre, over cross saltire bottonnée +LEOFPINEONGLEPEI
Weight: 1.35g Die axis: 210°

2. Silver penny, William I (1066-87), Two Sceptres (BMC iv), moneyer Leofwine of Gloucester
Obv: Crowned bust facing, sceptre to either side. +PILLEMREXANGLO
Rev: Cross fleury with annulet in centre, over cross saltire bottonnée +LEOFPINEONGLEPEI
Weight: 1.31g Die axis: 90°

3. Silver penny, William I (1066-87), Two Sceptres (BMC iv), moneyer Leofwine of Gloucester. Fragmentary.
Obv: Crowned bust facing, sceptre to either side. +PILLE________O
Rev: Cross fleury with annulet in centre, over cross saltire bottonnée ___F__NEONGL[E]
Weight: 0.52 Die axis: 180°

4. Silver penny, William I (1066-87), Two Sceptres (BMC iv), moneyer Sigelac or Seolcwine of Gloucester
Obv: Crowned bust facing, sceptre to either side. +PILLEMREXANGLO
Rev: Cross fleury with annulet in centre, over cross saltire bottonnée +SILACONGLEPECESI
Weight: 1.29g Die axis: 180°

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Created: Friday 21st October 2011
Updated: Friday 21st October 2011