finds of mediaeva cut halfpencl and e bnj/pdfs... · 2019-03-07 · i am indebted president to your...
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F I N D S O F M E D I A E V A L C U T H A L F P E N C E A N D
F A R T H I N G S A T D U N W I C H .
B Y EDWARD R . H . HANCOX.
E Y O N D the ruins of a church on the very edge of the cliff and
some fragmentary remains of monastic buildings, there is
nothing to impress the visitor to modern Dunwich with a
sense of its old time greatness. Though many of the accounts
of the past glories of Dunwich are probably traditional, there is no doubt
that it was at one time the Ecclesiastical centre of East Anglia, the great
seaport, which struck " terror and feare " into the hearts of its enemies.
For some 600 years before the Burgundian bishop Felix fixed his see
there, the town flourished, and may well have been, if not, the Roman
Extensium itself, a station established by the Romans, when the most
easterly part of Britain—some seven miles to the north of Dunwich and
generally supposed to have been the Roman Extensium—was threatened
with destruction by the sea. When the Roman station disappeared
and the town of Eastern Bavent, which succeeded it, was in turn slowly
worn 'away, the southward current set in more strongly against the
sand dune upon which Dunwich was built, at the southern extremity
of the bay, and the ingenuity of its dwellers could devise no means to
prevent their wealth and property being undermined by the ocean
current and washed away by storm and tide.
Dunwich cliffs of to-day are absolutely of the most powdery
nature, their face presents a serrated appearance, reminding one of a
huge snowdrift. No wonder then, that the history of Dunwich is a
long lamentable record of disaster. There was once a forest between
124 Finds of Mediceval Cut Halfpence and Farthings at Dunwich.
the town and the sea ; so the process of erosion had been going on for
centuries before the inhabitants, assisted by Henry III., when they saw
their town immediately threatened, built " a fence to check the inroads
of the sea."
About the time of Henry II., Dunwich was at the height of its
prosperity: it was then, as described by Gardner in his History, " a
town of good note, abounding with much riches, and sundry kinds of
merchandizes."
Under Richard I., the town was fined 1,060 marks, Orforcl 15,
Ipswich 200, ancl Yarmouth 200, for unlawfully supplying the king's
enemies with corn. These sums mav afford some idea of the relative J
importance of those East Anglian towns at that time.
In the reign of Edward 1., after the town had greatly declined, it
was still a port of considerable note, possessing—to quote Gardner—
"eleven ships of war, sixteen fair ships, twenty barks, and twenty-four
small boats" ; the eleven ships of war being built and equipped by
Dunwich men for the defence of the realm. Most of these ships and
the lives of the brave men of Dunwich who manned them, were,
however, lost durino- the war with France. O
Overwhelming disasters occurred in the early years of the reign
of Edward III., depriving the town by inroads of the sea of its fine
harbour, and about 400 houses. T h e new port being established near
Blythborough was alone a great blow to the prosperity of Dunwich.
Later, we read of the churches of St. Leonard, St. Martin, and St.
Nicholas being washed away, and in 1540 others shared the same fate,
until not one quarter of the town was left standing. In 1677 the sea
reached the Market Place, and the relentless waves claimed the whole
of the remaining buildings during the succeeding fifty years.
Under certain conditions of tide and wind, many relics of by-gone
Dunwich are picked up along the beach by those of its present
inhabitants who are interested, or who have patience enough to search
for them, and I believe these objects find ready purchasers in the
visitors to the tiny hamlet of modern houses that is the Dunwich of
to-day, for generally they are those who are attracted there by the
romance surrounding the extinction of the ancient city.
Relics from the Sea. 125
Among these interesting relics, I have seen neolithic implements,
Roman coins and bronze objects in great numbers, Saxon coins and
enamel work, mediaeval seals and, lastly, coins of, I believe, all periods
clown to the seventeenth century. But what I consider the most
interesting of these finds, from a numismatic point of view, is a large
number of cut halfpence and farthings evidently from one or more
hoards. The largest collection of these, which I have examined,
consists of about 250 pieces, brought together by the painstaking
search of a gentleman who formerly lived at Dunwich. As these little
objects turn up only at varying intervals, in small numbers, and are
mostly quite black, the difficulty of separating them from the fine
shingle and sand in which they are found will be appreciated.
So far as I can gather from those who regularly search for these
pieces, the proportion of whole pennies to cut money is at the rate of
one penny to four halves and five quarters, and they cover a period
from William I. (Hawkins 237) to Henry III.
The coins, considering their contact with saltwater, are wonderfully
preserved ; indeed, I think that until distributed on the surface, by
periodical beach scour, they must be out of reach of the action of
water and sand, and that only those which are not at once found are
at all difficult to identify. I was able, with little trouble, to identify
225 of the collection under consideration, and notwithstanding the
minuteness of many of the cut farthings, it was an easy matter to place
them under their respective kings, and in many cases even to allocate
them to their respective mints.
T h e number comprised, one quarter cut from a PKX penny of
William I. Three halves and one quarter of W illiam the Lion of
Scotland. Twopennies, three halves and six quarters of Henry II.'s
first issue. Four pennies, forty-three halves and forty-nine quarters of
Henry I I . — H e n r y III. "short cross" types. Three pennies, twenty-
five halves, and fifty-three quarters of Henry I II.'s " long cross" type.
There were also ten pennies, six round halfpennies and fifteen round
farthings of the first three Edwards and one round halfpenny of
Richard II.
In addition to these, I have seen and had, perhaps, about 100 others,
126 Finds of Mediceval Cut Halfpence and Farthings at Dunwich.
and I have no doubt there are many more in the possession of
residents of Dunwich and elsewhere.
When visiting Dunwich last winter I procured a few, among which
were some very interesting specimens, viz., a quarter of William I.
Hawkins 237, the earliest English coin I have noted in these finds. A
cut farthing of Henry I. Hawkins 265, and a specimen of a cut
halfpenny of Stephen, Hawkins 268.
Mr. Carlyon-Britton, as will be seen from the careful list of
readings of the coins which he has appended to this paper, has been
able to add two types to Henry I. ; and two types to Stephen, one of
which is amongst the rarest of the reign. All these are represented by
farthings. He also deciphers other coins for which I must refer to his
detailed list.
Most of the mints were London, Canterbury, Lincoln and
Winchester. I need hardly say that I looked very carefully for a
possible attribution to " Dunwich," but no reading upon any coin could
be taken as such.
T h e extensive period of time represented by the coins—300 years
—would seem to argue against their having been the property of a
private individual, and as all the pieces I have seen previous to the
reign of Henry II. are either halfpennies or farthings, I believe they
formed part of the same hoard and that with the possible exception of
the Edwardian " pieces," all the coins were from it. If such be the
case, this hoard must be unique from the fact of its being composed of
so great a proportion and variety of cut money.
Many of the quarters are exceedingly minute, cut down to the
merest fragment, and weighing less than one-eighth of the penny,
which is probably due to the fact that many of the pennies, especially
of the long cross type, are much clipped.
I suggest that the hoard formed part of the treasure of one of the
many monastic institutions of the ancient capital of East Anglia,
possibly that of the Grey Friars, whose crumbling ruins are now at the
edge of the cliff. The custom of small r e l i g i o u s offerings, so familiar o o o '
to us in the pathetic instance of the widow's two mites—01* stycas as
they were translated in some early English editions of the Bible, a
List of Coins found at Dunwich. 1 2 7
-custom not yet quite obsolete, may well account for the peculiar and
varied assortment I have described, in the treasure chest of a religious
house.
Notwithstanding the fact that the historians of Dunwich agree
that, in addition to its "fifty-two churches, chapels, religious houses
and hospitals," it had a mint ; it is fairly well established that it had
not a post-Conquest mint, or at any rate there is no evidence that it
had. If an Ecclesiastical mint existed its dies could not have borne the
town-name, and the only coin ever shown to me as a specimen of the
mint of Dunwich, proved to be of Durham.
I am indebted to your President, Mr. Carlyon-Britton, for the
pleasure of submitting this notice of the hoard, which I have described as
unique. I am, however, not versed in the literature on " finds," and it
may be that it is not as I have described it.
L I S T OF COINS FOUND AT DUNWICH.
WILLIAM I.
Type, Carlyon-Britton, IV, Hawkins, 237. [Plate, Fig. 1.]
Obverse. Reverse.
— LEM VHDE Cut farthing. P. Carlyon-Britton.
Type, Carlyon-Britton, V I I I ; Hawkins, 241.
— LE VLI Cut farthing. [Plate, Fig. 2.]
HENRY I.
Type, Andrew, X I ; Hawkins, IV. [Plate, Fig. 3.]
V!< R Illegible. Cut farthing. P. Carlyon-Britton.
Type, A. X I I I ; Hawkins, 265. [Plate, Fig. 4.]
VS R IL : O Cut farthing.
Type, A. X V ; Hawkins, 255. [Plate, Fig. 5.]
— HI AN : O Cut farthing. „
128 Finds of Mediceval Cut Halfpence and Farthings at Dunwic.
STEPHEN.
Obverse.
Illegible.
. I E F N
Illegible.
Type, Hawkins, 270. [Plate, Fig. 6.]
Reverse.
Illegible. Cut farthing. P. Carlyon-Britton..
Type, Hawkins, 268. [Plate, Fig. 7.]
-—— RE Cut halfpenny. „
Type, Hawkins, X V I I I .
Illegible. Cut farthing.
Illegible.
Illegible.
* ITE
Illegible.
E X
H E N R Y II .
Type, Hawkins, 2S5.
IRKN * E M :
Illegible. Illegible.
Illegible.
R E : O
ON ;
Illegible.
Penny.
j) Penny, fragment-
Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 8.] Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 9.]
Cut farthing. [Plate, Fig. 11.]
Cut farthing.
(4). [Plate, Fig. 10.]
— RIGVS • Illegible.
RGNRIGVS R 6 X KGNRIGVS I • R -
IGVS . .
RIGVS
HENRY I I . — I I I .
SHORT CROSS TYPES.
Class I.
. . . 7£RD ON Illegible.
Class II.
* . . VII • ON • LTVNDQ M • O N • . . .
* Sim • VLlTt
* R IG FTGNRI NG • ON
V N
Cut halfpenny.
Penny.
»
Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 12.] Cut halfpenny.
List of Coins found at Dunwich.
Obverse.
— NRIGVS R E X
Reverse.
- 2£H • OH • - -— VLtTE
Cut halfpenny. Cut farthing.
EGHRIGVS R6X R€[ RCt C
RIGVS R
E6HRIG — HRIGVS
— RuX RIGVS RG
EGHRIGV EGHRI EGNRIGV
— VS RG
EGHR
Class III.
* RIG - - - OH • LlV RGS•OH •
* R KG *
* R K V *
*
- H • LtV TG
DG OH WIHG
H • LtVH) * IOEKH * RGH HO
IxVHDG — H • IlVID
* TOMKS
LtVKKS
Penny.1
Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 13.] Cut halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 15.] Cut halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 14.] Cut halfpenny.
EGHRIGVS RQX EGHR E GX - GHRIGV
Class V.
* EGHRI OH GKHT H OH GX
OH OKH
* IIxGGR O
Penny. Cut halfpenny.
— VS - GVS
Illegible. RIGVS
E S RGX - GHRIGV
SHORT-CROSS TYPES.
Unclassified.
*D71C HOR
H'HOR H • LtVH -
• RKVF • O * WIHGG
Cut halfpenny.
VOL. V.
1 D o u b l e struck.
K
130 Finds of Mediceval Cut Halfpence and Farthings at Dunwich.
Obverse.
- GNRIOV - NRIGVS
RIGV - GNR
Illegible. RIGV
NR NRI
— S RG
— GX — G
Illegible.
GVS RIG
X IGV
— NRI - GNI KGN
S R
GVS
Illegible. RG • RIG
RG
Illegible. RQ
— NRIG
VS R
— GX
GVS NRI
R €(X
R€( — VS R
— NRIG VS R
Reverse.
Illegible.
- ROBGR
N • W
N • LtV1
Illegible.
VN) R • ON
NIG GIT
N • OK — NDG
Rffi
KRD
— VNO - A N G X
Illegible. ON • Ii
PIN (?) ON
— ON
— v u • o
— ON N O S N • T -
ON • G WING
IlVN * — - RGH * W X — IGO * ROO * NOR
* IOR N • IIV
— RG ON • O
Cut halfpenny.
(3) Cut farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 19.]
Cut farthine.
[Plate, Fig. 16.] Cut farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 18.] Cut farthing.
1 Broken.
List of Coins found at Dunwich.
Obverse.
It e x o v s
— S R
E Illegible.
e x
Reverse.
W7r * G O G
Illegible.
Cut farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 17.] Cut farthing. .
(10)
TF M W I G R - = T T ; 1
w m - L I G R - - -
s R :
s R G I
Illegible.
WILLIAM THE LION : SCOTTISH.
^ K V G W T I T R I : O
= „ W H U T S R
- i r r e
* R A V I I
Illegible.
A L T T C R
P e n n y ,
j)
Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 20.] Cut halfpenny.2
[Plate, Fig. 21.] Cut halfpenny.
X J D 6 R
Illegible or broken.
ALEXANDER III .
LONG-CROSS TYPE.
Cut halfpenny.
„ (3)
I G V S R e x
HENRY I I I .
LONG-CROSS TYPES.
Without Sceptre.
I O N v c e
I G V S R e G M O N
R I G G X : II N I G O I L G
R G I R I G II N G 2 R U '
« R 8 I R I -
ReNJIGV
G X : I I I ' R I G
— - 1 ' V J D
I O R C A H
— 0 W 0 O A S
Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 23.] Cut halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 22.]
1 T h e l e g e n d t o b e r e a d r e t r o g r a d e . 3 Broken.
K 2
132 Finds of Mediceval Cut Halfpence and Farthings at Dunwich.
Obverse.
I l l e g i b l e .
I l l e g i b l e .
JSGJRIGVS RGX III' I l l e g i b l e .
S R 6 X III'
ReKtX
Rei VS R e x M
m'
R 6 J R I
v s R e x in
With Sceptre.
Reverse. RGiRI O f f l -HIGOIlQ Of LtVTD R f f l X V O O/ IxVID
W i l l K / T NIGOIie NIG V N )
tVIx V N )
O N G S 0 R (?)
m
iiexr ON ii1
O N LLVN)
Penny.
Cut halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 25.] Cut halfpenny. [Plate, Fig. 24.J Cut halfpenny.
- 6HRIGVS I l l e g i b l e .
RIGVS RG I G V S RG
Re Illegible. Illegible.
Illegible.
e R e ®R
RIG RIGVS RG
G V S RQX
— G N U
®R
II'
RIG IGV
RIG
: in'
III' — N I I Q
x : m
LONG-CROSS TYPES.
Unclassified.
ON l i V N
l i V N NIG V N )
T€R o m III Illegible.
or iiviD I O N
— OILQ — ii€M 0/ a RN G
Illegible.
W i l l
or o
Lt€M - RT T NIG
RGJ
- m o OH a
or G
OliG
Cut halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 26.3J Cut halfpenny.3
» (7) Cut farthing..
C u r i o u s o b v e r s e . C l i p p e d . B r o k e n . .
List of Coins found at Dunwich.
Obverse.
R0X - QHIIG
GVS R RIG
RGX GVS
IGVS e GX
« JR — — — in - VS RG - GI&I
? — mia - Htm
RIGV
- 6MI EG
R0X RIGV RIGV
GX II - GrR
RIGV X III
S RG • W
- M i a VS RG
K II VS RG
RIG
fiSIR Illegible.
Reverse.
or h
TGR
— RGN RIG
RI O T Oi
LiVN V M
TGR — R€(R w m
HII — K V T
OliG
G2ST Illegible.
0/ R OnT It
GA/r Illegible. IVN Ria RUG —- VID
VID O H
j y T e fOG
NIG o a i
i • o/ Illegible.
EDWARD I.
Cut farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 30.] Cut farthing.
))
»
)}
))
})
J? »
))
[Plate, Fig. 28. J Cut farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 27.] Cut farthing.
>>
J> »
))
)t jj
V
))
))
))
if »
j j »
[Plate, Fig. 29.]
Cut farthing.
» (4)
• SDWRAHGtiOHS RV8 *GDWR7rNGIj:DNS Hi/8 "t'GDWR'TENGLt DNS RVB
GIVITKS LtONDON GIVITTtS LONDON GIVITXS HOMDOH
Penny.
134 Finds of Mediceval Cut Halfpence and Farthings at Dunwich.
Obverse. • G D W R T H I
- I - G D W R T C N G I I D I I S R V 8
- F R G D W R T C N G L : D N - - - B
- F R G R T T N G M G
• G R T C N G M G
^ G R T T N G M G
Reverse. R V B G I V I T T C S - - - D O N
G I V I T T C S I L O H D O I I
G - - - T A S H O N D O N
G I V I T T C S L I O N D O N
G I V I T T C S H O N D O N
L I O N D O N I G N S I S
G I V I T A S G X N T O R
G I V I T 2 T S D V B L T L N I G
VhhK
Penny, broken. Penny.
Halfpenny, broken. Farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 31.] Farthing, worn.
„ worn. Farthing, much worn.
Farthing, broken. Penny.
Halfpenny.
Penny.
+ E D W R K H € I L D N S R V B
G D W R A N G L T D N S R I / B
G R D V S R G X
EDWARD II.
> J « G O W 7 T R 7 T N G L J ; D N S R I / B C I V I T 7 T S G 7 £ N T O R
• G D W T C R 7T G I V I - - ~ - R
EDWARD I I I .
^ G D W 3 T R D V S J R G X O T R G I X L 6 -1 G I V I T O H « ?
>i< on breast J N.B.—The upper limb of the cross terminates in a crozier head to the dexter.
- 6 D W S R D V S R Q X - - G I V I T X S H O R D O I ? Halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 33.] G I V I T T C S I L O R D O R Farthing.
[Plate, Fig. 32.]
EDWARD (uncertain).
Halfpenny, much worn.
• G D W 7 T R D V S R G X -
G D W
* G D D V S - -
FCGDWTTRDVS R G X 7 F
^ R K G T T R A I R G X * TTHGLT
* E G H R I G * R = - - - G L T
? Henry.
, ~ T K S - - - D O N
G I V I T T T S L O N D O N
G I V I T T C S
RICHARD II.
G I V I T T C S U O N O O N
HENRY (uncertain).
_ _ R D O R
EDWARD I V (?)
GD . N . B to dexter of King's face ? Edward.
Halfpenny, worn. Farthing.
Farthing-, much worn.
Halfpenny.
[Plate, Fig. 34.]
Halfpenny, broken.
„ worn.
Penny, much worn. Halfpenny.
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70
Shirley Fox.
T H E C R O S S A S A M I N T - M A R K .
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