GAMING PIECE

Description: Post medieval silver shilling, modified to form a probable gaming piece. The shilling is of Edward VI, dating to the period AD 1550 - 1551, mint of London, initial mark: Y. The coin is heavily worn, particularly on the obverse. The reverse exhibits an engraved and hatched letter A without a crossbar in the top right quarter to the right of the shield.

Four narrow crescentic apertures have been made around the centre of the coin, following the lines of the inner border; the gaps between each aperture respect the lines of the cross on the reverse. In addition, the coin has been mounted in a rim or frame consisting of a rectangular-sectioned strip of silver, the inner edge with a slight groove to house the flan. The frame is now peeling away from the coin.

Dimensions: Diameter (including frame): 36.1mm, width of frame: 2mm, thickness of frame: 1.5mm, thickness of coin: 1mm, weight: 6.9g.

Date: Coin minted c. AD 1550-1551, date of modification within the subsequent 100-150 years.

Discussion: Two similarly modified coins have previously been reported as potential Treasure and are recorded on the PAS database: NARC-FF2D58 (2014 T766) & SUR-678851 (2008 T494). The latter, also for a shilling of Edward VI suggests:

"The altered coin might have been intended to serve as a counter, since in some cases high-status sets of reckoning counters were made up by using numbers of actual silver coins in a silver cylinder or box - adding the rim might have both rendered the coins being used as distinctive and also made them better fitted to their container. Alternatively, the coin was altered to be set aside for use in a popular pastime, similar to shove-halfpenny, which is documented for the Tudor and Stuart periods - the utilisation of the broad and distinctive shillings of Edward VI in this game is specifically recorded."