Latest Posts...

Account of Silver Rings and Coins discovered near Worcester

Posted by ricey on July 22, 2006 10:18 AM | Permalink

I was recently doing some research on some Metal Detecting sites and came across this interesting article. It goes to show that hoards were being found well before Metal Detectors came around.

" MY DEAR SIR,
" There has been a find of about 215 silver pennies, also four rings set with gems, a ring twisted like a wreath, a ring with crosses on it, and a gimmal ring (at least one with a hand like a gimmal ring), and a brooch double-wreathed, with a tongue something like what I saw when young in peasants' shirts, to keep the two parts together at the breast.
"All these coins and articles are silver; they were found near Lark Hill, within about a mile of "Worcester, upon making a drain, and were all in a lump together, and probably had been wrapped in a coarse piece of cloth, as there were fragments of the kind about them.
" Some of the pennies are cut in half, and others in four parts, I presume to answer as halfpence and farthings. I have sent sealing-wax impressions of five of the coins, and have to request you will kindly let me know to what monarch they belong. My opinion is, they are of Henry I, or Henry II.
" Supposing that one of the rings is a " gimmal ring," it appears to carry that device much further back than it is in Hone's " Table-Book," part II., p. 1; I had a very hurried view of the batch at the finder's yesterday, but if you think the matter worth further investigation, I will send you either further sketches, or try and get you a sight of the relics. I presume the gems in the rings are
crystals.
" I am, &c,
"J. ALLIES."
Conceiving that an account of this discovery could not fail to be of interest to the Society, I replied immediately to this letter, and at my request Mr. Allies kindly obtained the whole bulk of the coins and rings, and forwarded them for my inspection. They have since been ceded to the British Museum by the finder; hut, previously to their delivery, with the sanction of the Executive Committee, I had drawings made of the rings and such of the coins as would serve to fix the date of the deposit of this hoard. This drawing I now lay before the Society. Prom this it will be seen that the find consisted of five finger-rings, one twisted ring, and a brooch, besides 209 coins in silver and billon. They may be enumerated as follows:--
191 silver pennies of the first mintage of Henry II.
1 „ of David I. King of Scotland.
8 Deniers of St. Martin of Tours. Duby, vol. i. p. 71, plate xvi.
8 „ of Hugh fifth Count of Anjou. Duby,vol. ii. plate lxxii.
1 „ ofMelle.
1 „ of Odo Duke of Burgundy. Duby, vol. i. fig. 2, plate 1.; who assigns it to the fourth duke of that name, but it more probably belongs to the second (A.D. 1142-63).
The half of a penny of Eustace Count of Boulogne.
The rings are--
Fig. 1. A finger-ring of silver, with a square bezel, in which is set an
amethyst cut en cabochon:
Pig, 2. Another ring of similar form, but of larger size, set with a transparent crystal, cut as the last. Fig. 3. Another ring of silver, similar in form to the preceding, set with a
transparent yellow paste. Fig. 4. A gimmel ring of silver, formed of two hands clasped. This has
been broken into two parts.
Fig. 5. A thin flat silver finger-ring, ornamented in front with a cluster
of quatrefoils between two crosses patt6e. The lines are filled in with
niello. '
Fig. 6. A ring formed of thick silver wire, twisted together, and resembling what have been called tore rings.
A similar object in gold was found at Soberton, with coins of Edward the Confessor. (Journal of the Arch. Institute, vol. viii. p. 100.)
Fig. 7. A ring-brooch formed of twisted silver wire, and with a flat acus. The coins represented in the Plate are :--
Fig. 8. The half and fourth of a penny of Henry II.
VOL. XXXVI. 2 D

202 Account of Silver Rings and Coins discovered near Worcester.
Tig. 9. The half of a coin of Eustace Count of Boulogne.
' As the last of the four counts of this name, namely 'Eustace son of Stephen, was contemporary with our Henry II. (A.X>, 1154I-89), this probably belongs to hhn. The type is a yariety, but the coin to which it bears the closest analogy is given in Duby, vol. ii. plate lxxiv. fig. 5. l?ig. 10. A penny of Henry II., bearing the king's head, full-faced, with a
sceptre in the right hand, surmounted by a cross pattde. I?ig. 11. A billon denier of Odo Duke of Burgundy, struck at Dijon.
Obverse: ODO : DVX : UVRG : ME. Reverse : DIVIONENSIS. Fig. 12. Obverse of a, silver penny of David I., King of Scotland, imperfectly struck on both sides.
It should be added, that with the fragments of the linen cloth, or purse, in which this hoard was found, were the remains of wax, as though the whole had been carefully sealed up previously to its being deposited.
J. Y. AKEBMA3T
November 20, 1854.