Just how many hoards are still out there? I find asking myself. I've been researching coin hoards for years now and on a daily basis there are more and more being found. There are also more and more coming to light that were found in years gone bye. Some small - Some large. Some old - Some new. I know that more will be found this year by Metal Detectorists but how many are still to be found on our little island.
Here is an account of a hoard found in 1852 which may interest you further.
'In the month of April 1852, a few coins were found in Pettigoe, in the County of Fermanagh; Mr Barton on whose property the coins were discovered, left them with Mr Clibborn, who placed them in my hands, and informed me that Mr Barton would be obliged by any information respecting them.
The lot consists of fourteen coins, three groats of David 11, along with nine groats and two half groats of Robert 11; all the groats are of the Edinburgh mint, and the half-groats are from the mint of Perth
'Scotch coins of an early period are frequently found in Ireland, and though many hundreds of them have passed through my hands, I never met with or heard of any similar to the coins Iam about to describe. Ten of those coins are forgeries of a very peculiar kind, fabricated with a degree of ingenuity well calculated to impose on the rude and ignorant people of the fourteenth century. Toe of the groats and two of the half groats, are genuine silver coins. The specific gravity of one of the groats is 10.6. Each of the false groats consists of two very thin discs of silver, having interposed a piece of copper of somewhat smaller diameter, and much thicker than the silver, and they seem to have been struck between dies in the usual manner. As to the means by which the different metals were made to adhere, I found on attempting to separate one of the discs of silver from the copper, that it was detached without much difficulty, and that the metals had been united by solder, which has been corroded at the margin so as to expose the mode of fabrication.
'The dies from which these coins were struck, though well executed and bearing avery close resemblance to the dies of the genuine coins, retain the marks as if of a file, and the surface of the coins has a streaked appearance. The letters are not sharp and well defined like those on the genuine silver coins, a defect owing to the want of solidity arising from the different metals not being perfectly soldered together.
'Of the ten spurious coins, five are from different dies, a fact that proves that forgery was carried on to a great extent and in a systematic manner; nor is it at all surprising that they should be found associated with genuine coins, for one of the most notorious swindlers of the present day is in the habit of offering for sale genuine coins mixed up with forgeries.
'The supriousness of those coins is at once detected by the separation of the metallic discs at the margin, but independent of this evidence, their deficiency in weight would enable a well informed numismatist to pronounce without hesitation that they were not genuine regal coins. The central piece of copper was evidently intended to import weight and solidity , yet even with this addition, most of them are more than half the legal weight of the groats of David and Robert , which should be at least sixty one grains., whereas the average weight of the ten false coins is afraction less than thirty seven grains, the heaviest being forty eight grains and the lightest thirty one; of the four genuine coins, one groat weighs fifty seven grains, and one of the half groats weighs thirty grains.
'To determine as near as possible, the period at which these forgeries were fabricated, it is necessary to refer to a few particular dates. David 11 when only five years old, succeeded to the throne of Scotland in 1329. He was dethroned within acouple of years and retired to France, from whence he was recalled in 1342. On the 17th of October 1346 he was taken prisoner at the battle of Neville's Cross and committed to the Tower of London, from which imprisonment he was released in 1357, by Edward 111 for aransom of 100,000 marks.
He died in 1371, and was succeeded by his maternal uncle Robert 11 who died in 1390.
'In 1347, it was ordained by Act of Parliament that all good money of England should be received within the realm of Scotland, according to its true value in England.
'In 1358, David, King of Scotland, came in person to London and petitioned King Edward that the coins of England and Scotland might be interchangeably current in both kingdoms upon equal terms, which request was granted in consideration of the great humility of the King of Scotland.
'In 1365, a new coinage was ordered in Scotland, to be made equivalent and comfortable to the current money of England in weight and fineness and to have a notable sign on it to distinguish it from all other money already struck.
'In 1367 the standard of the coinage of Scotland was reduced to £1 9s 4d , the pound tale, the money to be the same fineness as the last coinage, or that of England: the effect of this was to reduce the weight of the groat from 72 grains to 61.36.
'So much light foreign money had been brought into England in 1367, it was found necessary to issue an order that no money of the coin of Scotland, or any other country, except the king's coin in silver and gold, should be current in the kingdom.
'The Scottish money was again cried down by proclamation in England in 1372, which was rendered necessary by the advantage which the Scotch had taken the difference in instrinsic value between their money and that of England; for they collected the latter and coined it into their own money, which was of less weight. It seems, however, that this ordinance was insufficient to check a practice from which a considerable profit accrued; for in the following year (1373), the Commons petitioned 'that four Scotch pence should go no more than three pence English, and. if the Scotch should diminish their money on that account, that the current value of it should again be brought down'. (Ruding volume 11 page 208 second edition, 8vol), which petition was granted, an Act passed in the following year (1374) and proclomation was made to that effect in Berwick-upon-Tweed, and similar ordinances were made in 1381 and 1387.
'Mr Lindsay observes, that there are 'many mint privy marks (probably the notable signs directed by the Act of 1365), particularly on the larger coins' of David 11; and that the coins of Robert 11 'resemble in type those of his predecessor, but exhibit fewer privy marks or ornaments, the only remarkable one being the letter behind the kings head on several of the groats' (View of Coinage of Scotland p20 and 22)
'The signification of this letter B has given rise to much discussion but Mr Lindsay, with much probability, conjectures that it is the initial of Bonachius of Florence, who was moneyer of Robert 111 in 1393.
'Five of those spurious coins exhibit the 'notable sign' or privy mark as it is usually called. The groat of David No.3 has a small D along with the pellets, in the quarter of the reverse corresponding with the letters VILL. Two of Roberts groats, Nos 4 and 5 have across behind the kings crown. No6 has a large B in the same situation; and no 7 has a amall B (the only mark noticed by Mr Lindsay), which also occurs on the Perth half groat, No 13 which is agenuine coin is very nearly of standard weight.
'The existence of the coins of Robert of two privy marks (the cross and large B) which have not been observed on his genuine graots is remarkable. That similar marks were used by authorized moneyers, and that the originals will be discovered, may be assumed, for it is not to be supposed that forgers who so closely imitated the types and varieties of the regal coins would venture to adopt marks which were intended to distinguish the coinage of 1365 from all other money already struck, or in the words of the Act:' And ane notable sign sal be upon it, quehreby it may be evidently knawen fra all other money alreadie striken'. (Cardonnel, Numismata Scotiae, Appendix No V).
'It now only remains to attempt to fix, with as much precision as possible, In 1365 the coinage of Scotland was equivalent, in weight and fineness, to the current money of England, at which time the weight of the English groat was seventy two grains. In 1367 the weight of the Scotch groat was reduced to about sixty one and a half grains, and no further change took place from that time to 1385, when money was ordered to be made of the same standard as in 1367.
'The coin of Scotland and other countries was forbidden in 1367 to be current in England, so much light money had been brought into the kingdom; and in 1373 it was ordained that four pence Scotch should pass for no more than three pence in England; and similar ordinances were made in 1381 and 1387.
'From the evidence of these Acts, and the coins themselves, it appears that the weight of the money of Scotland had been reduced during the reign of Robert 11. That these coins were fabricated susequent to the year 1371 there can be no doubt, and if Mr Lindsay's conjecture as to the significance of the letter B, used as a privy mark, be admitted it is probable they were made towards the close of the reign of Robert who died in 1390; only three years before we find mention of Bonachius (monetarium nostrum) who may have possibly been employed some years previously in the royal mint'.
List of Fourteen Scotch Coins (chiefly forgeries) which were discovered in April 1852, near Pettigoe, in the County of Fermanagh, on the property of F.W.Barton Esq.
David 11 1329-71
1) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 47 Grains Genuine Coin
2) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 57 Grains Genuine Coin
3) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 35 Grains Fake Coin
D in the quarter of the the reverse corresponding with the letters VILL
Robert 11 1371-90
4) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 31.5 Grains Fake Coin +behind the crows
5) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 31 Grains Fake Coin +behind the crows
6) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 34 Grains Fake Coin B behind the crows
7) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 37.5 Grains Fake Coin B behind the crows
8) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 33.5 Grains Fake Coin
9) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 37.5 Grains Fake Coin
10) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 47.5 Grains Fake Coin
11) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 32.5 Grains Fake Coin
12) Groat Edinburgh Mint Weight 48 Grains Fake Coin
13) Half Groat, Perth Mint, Weight 30 Grains, Genuine Coin
14) Half Groat, Perth Mint, Weight 25 Grains, Genuine Coin B behind the crows
No's 4 and 5 are from the same dies
No's 8,9,10,11 and 12 are from the same dies
An Edinburgh groat of Robert 11 weighs 58 grains and an Aberdeen penny of David 11 weighs 16 grains (both genuine) were found at the same time, in the vicinity of the fourteen coins described above.
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »