COIN HOARD

Treasure number 2017 T513

Description: A hoard of 127 silver medieval pennies, all found in the plough soil within an area measuring circa 10m2. The majority of coins are official issues of Edward I and II and will therefore be of the sterling standard, over 90% fine silver. The remaining coins include three pennies of the Scottish king Alexander III from his second coinage, issued between 1280 and about 1286, one penny of Florennes Gaucher de Chatillon (1313-22), one of Gui de Dampierre (1274-97), and one continental sterling imitation of Edward I.

The coinage of Edward I and Edward II forms one continuous series from the reform of 1279 and just into the reign of Edward III. The contemporary Scottish coinage was struck to the same standards as the main English series and all circulated together within the British Isles in this period. Imitations of the English penny entered England in large numbers in the 1290s, but most were removed in a partial recoinage in c. 1300. However examples in later hoards demonstrate that a number either survived this campaign or else entered English currency after that date.

The coins found are mostly of very good weight, indicating a degree of selection. Also, there are no examples of the lesser denominations, halfpennies and farthings, which had been added to the currency in 1279-80. The bulk of the coins present were issued after the partial recoinage of c.1300, so the classes present do not evenly represent output across the Edwardian series.

There are no coins earlier than the recoinage of 1279-80, and the coins would certainly have been in currency together. The absence of coins of Edward III combined with the date of the most recent coin suggests this was a group deposited in the late 1320s, perhaps around the ascension of Edward III (1327).

An additional coin was also found in the same area, but is unlikely to be associated with the hoard. This coin is probably a penny of Edward III, mint of York; however, the coin is exceedingly worn and clipped, and in terms of condition is entirely out of character with the rest of the hoard, which largely comprises heavy, unworn, and unclipped coins.

Catalogue (note: the catalogue was revised by Barrie Cook after the database photos were taken. This means that the text in the photos no longer matches the catalogue below):

Seven further coins were found on the hoard site in June 2017 indicated by **

English

Class Mint Weight (g)

1. 1d London 1.1

2-3. 2a London 1.39, 1.22

4. 2b Bristol 1.41

5-6. 2b London 1.4, 1.36

7. 3b Durham 1.34

8. 3c Bristol 1.04

9. 3c Canterbury 1.4

10. 3c (reverse of 2b) Durham 1.15

11. 3d Lincoln 1.3**

12. 3d London 1.09*

13. 3e Durham 1.20

14-18. 3g London 1.43, 1.43, 1.37, 1.34**,1.22

19. 4a2 Bury 1.32

20. 4a1 London 1.35

21. 4a2 London 1.35

22-3. 4b London 1.36**, 1.19*

24. 4d/c London 1.21*

25-6. 4d Canterbury 1.40, 1.37

27-8. 4d London 1.41, 1.09

29-30. 4e London 1.42, 1.39

31-2. 9a1 London 1.35, 1.06

33. 9a2 London 1.43

34-5. 9b1 Canterbury 1.49, 1.36

36. 9b1 Chester 1.44

37. 9b1 Exeter 1.41

38-40. 9b1 London 1.38, 1.36, 1.35

41. 9b1 York 1.43

42-3. 9b2 London 1.39, 1.30

44. 9b2 Newcastle 1.38

45. 10ab1b (bifoliate) London 1.14

46. 10ab2 Durham 1.35**

47. 10ab2 London 1.38

48. 10ab4 London 1.26

49-51. 10ab5 London 1.46, 1.34, 1.27

52-4. 10ab5 (late) London 1.37, 1.34, 1.34

55. 10ab6 London 1.55

56-7. 10cf1 Canterbury 1.43, 1.4

58. 10cf1 Durham 1.32

59-63. 10cf1 London 1.41, 1.4, 1.4**,1.36, 1.18

64-6. 10cf2a Canterbury 1.42, 1.38, 1.31

67. 10cf2a London 1.17

68. 10cf2a (Mayfield letters) London 1.46

69-70.10cf2b Canterbury 1.39, 1.18

71. 10cf2b Durham (royal) 1.48

72-5. 10cf2b London 1.45, 1.39, 1.38, 1.36

76. 10cf3a3 Canterbury 1.38

77. 10cf3a3 Durham 1.45

78-9. 10cf3a3 London 1.43, 1.34

80. 10cf3b1 Canterbury 1.35

81-3. 10cf3b1 London 1.44, 1.42, 1.35

84. 10cf3b2 Durham 1.25

85-6. 10cf3b2 London 1.4, 1.33

87. 10cf5a1 Bury St Edmunds 1.36

88. 10cf5a1 London 1.35

89. 10cf5a2 Canterbury 1.33

90-1. 10cf5a2 London 1.42, 1.39

92. 10cf5b2 London 1.39

93-5. 11a2 London 1.41, 1.38, 1.19

96-7. 11b1 London 1.44, 1.42

98-9. 11b2 Canterbury 1.42, 1.35

100. 11b2 Durham 1.2

101. 11b3 London 1.4

102-3. 11c Canterbury 1.3, 1.14

104. 13 Durham (Crozier) 1.43

105-6. 14 Canterbury 1.31, 1.24

107. 14 Durham (lion) 1.46

108-10. 14 London 1.4, 1.35, 1.18

111. 15a London 1.43

112. 15b London 1.42

113. 15b Durham 1.36

114. 15c Canterbury 1.43

115-16.15c Durham (no crozier) 1.38, 1.22 (cf. North 940)

Berwick Upon Tweed

Class Mint Weight (g)

117. 3b Berwick 1.34

118. 4a Berwick 1.45

119. 4b Berwick 1.28

Aquitaine

120. Edward III Duke of Aquitaine (1330-45) 1.46**

Scotland

121-2. Alexander III Second coinage, Class Mb (24 points) 1.24, 1.11

123. Alexander III Second coinage, Class D (26 points) 1.1

Continental

124. Gui de Dampierre (1274-97) Flanders & Namur Mayhew 16 1.16

135. Gaucher de Chatillon (1313-22) Yves Mayhew 237 1.31

126. Gaucher de Chatillon (1313-22) Yves Mayhew 237 (Y.VE) 1.36**

Later (not part of hoard)

127. Mid to late 14th century York 0.61

(Below the 1464 12-grain penny standard)