Extra marks in the field on Saxon & Norman Pennies

[Rob]

Does anyone have any theories concerning the occasional appearance of pellets, annulets, crosses and other marks in the fields on pennies of this era? Whilst examples of individual dies are usually quite rare, the incidence of an extra mark(s) is not so. I'm intrigued but don't have an answer. Robin Eaglen & Robert Grayburn wrote an article on the gouged dies of Cnut's Quatrefoil coinage in the 2000 BNJ, but that aside, there has only been speculation over the past centuries from the likes of Parsons and Andrew. Thoughts anyone?

[Rob]

Ok, I don't expect to get caught in the stampede given it has only had 57 views in a week and no replies. 

The appearance of this https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/baldwins-of-st-jamess/catalogue-id-srstja10031/lot-3b393123-8bdd-4927-9e94-a94c00d6b2d5 in tomorrow's BSJ sale prompted me to revisit the reason for the large cross to the right of the bust, which is something I have long had on the list of things to do.

In his article on the coins of Williams I & II, P W P Carlyon-Britton noted the following varieties for the sword type. Var. A - a modified reverse at Ilchester; B - two pellets one side, and a large cross the other i.e. the above; C - two small crosses to the left of the King's neck - these two at Dorchester; D - annulet by face; E - cross by face - these two at Wareham; F - a variety of crown seen at London. 

I am sure it is no coincidence that of the above locations, Dorchester and Wareham are adjacent mints separated by only a dozen miles. The question therefore is why do coins from these two mints have the symbols by the bust when no other mints striking in type 6 have them? Despite their proximity, North only gives one moneyer common to both mints (Godwine), but Oter is unquestionably the resident engraver at Dorchester for a considerable period including this issue. This would indicate the marks are not the work of an idiosyncratic moneyer. The fact that more than one moneyer is involved says it is done for more than a whimsical reason. The next nearest mint locations striking in Sword are Chichester, Shaftesbury and Ilchester, with Ilchester the closest - again a location for a variety. What happened in that area to warrant unusual die features? There must be a link somewhere.

Sword type is thought to have been struck in the period Michaelmas 1080-1083. My initial thoughts were directed towards a connection with Abbotsbury Abbey, which is reasonably close to Dorchester. The case for a connection was stengthened when I discovered that it was founded by one of Cnut's thegns, Orc, in the early years of Edward the Confessor. Orc and his wife lived at Portesham which is between Abbotsbury and Dorchester, however, it is not close to Wareham. It would be appropriate to celebrate their largesse, and with a timing that is about 30 years after the abbey was founded, could be related to the passing of a major benefactor.

William was in France for much of this period and before, leaving his half-brother (Bishop of Bayeux & Earl of Kent) in charge of the kingdom. The latter outstripped his authority by hoping to succeed the Pope, which wasn't in William plan, causing him to return whereupon he intercepted him on the Isle of Wight. Again, geographically separated from the two mints. 

Thoughts anybody?

Fortuitously, I have ticked the Dorchester box with a coin of the same type, but as you can see, mine has the much smaller crosses to the right (var.C) and is a completely different die pair. So we have different moneyers at separate, but relatively close locations adding features only seen at the two locations, with more than one die with additional features cut at both locations. Sword is the second rarest type for William I after Profile Right.

The search for plausible reasons goes on.................

Edited September 27, 2018 by Rob

[craigy]

bit of a specialist subject, lovely coins though, one wonders how they survive the centurys, have they been passed dpwn, are they fro a hoard or detecting find 

[Rob]

My coin was illustrated by P W P Carlyon-Britton in the BNJ vol.2 where he noted it was in the collection of Mary Willett, but the coin wasn't in her sale in 1920. It was also noted with Spink in 1952. It has obviously been around for a while, but without more info it would be impossible to say where it was found originally.