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July 30, 2006
On a Hoard of Gold Nobles found at Bremeridge Farm, Westbury, Wiltshire.
On a Hoard of Gold Nobles found at Bremeridge Farm, Westbury, Wiltshire.
May 23, 1878.
In the early part of September 1877 there was found on Brenieridge farm, in the parish of Westbury, Wilts, belonging to' Charles Paul Pliipps, esq. of Chalcot, a hoard of 32 gold coins. They were found during repairs and. improvements of the homestead, about a foot and a half below the surface, in the courtyard, piled,one above another, without any appearance of a.purse or box. The place of deposit would be indicated by a line producing the east end of the main building southwards to a distance of about 13 ft. from the wall of the present back kitchen.
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The workmen, as a matter of course, appropriated the coins and distributed them amongst themselves, being fully alive to their intrinsic value, but all unwitting, apparently, of the laws of treasure trove. Mr. Phipps, with great promptitude, made the workmen understand that the coins belonged neither to them as,finders nor to himself as owner of the soil and employer, but to the Queen, and must be sent forthwith to the Treasury. By this means 32 pieces were recovered uninjured, except that a little bit had been scooped out of the edge of one, apparently to test the metal. After careful examination and after a list was made they were sent to the Treasury in a registered packet on the 18th of September.
About the 18th of December 28 of the coins were received back from the Treasury, three of the original number being retained for the Mint and one for the British Museum, and express provision was made for the liberal reward of tbe workmen who had discovered this interesting hoard.
The general type of the coins resembles those engraved in 'Ruding' as nobles of Edward III. Obverse, edwaed dei gra rex angkl et feanc n d. hyb. The king standing in a ship, crowned, holding in the right hand a drawn sword, and on the left arm a shield bearing the arms of France and England. Reverse, a cross fleury with a fleur de lis at each point, and a lion passant gardant under a crown in each quarter.
In some of the Bremeridge specimens the French arms are represented semee of fieurs de lis as assumed by Edward III.; in some there are four, or more fleurs de lis indicated in the 1st quarter, and three in the 4th and more circumscribed quarter, while seme one or two have distinctly three fleurs de lis in both quarter, as afterwards adopted by Charles VI. of France, who began to reign a.d. 1380, and as expressly imitated by our Henry V.
Some of those which have the name of Edward on the obverse have on the reverse in the centre the initial 3 of fourteenth century shape.
The coin which has had a piece unfortunately cut out of it by the finders, as above mentioned, happens to be particularly interesting as being one of the three of Richard II in this hoard, resembling those already described of Edward III. with the exception of having the name Richard, which is somewhat defaced, on the obverse, and the initial u in the centre of the reverse. These nobles of Richard are not so well coined as those of Edward in the same hoards and the mutilated coin already mentioned being curiously blundered both on the obverse and reverse seems to indicate either a, forgery or great disorganisation in the proceedings of the mint.
The most curious, from the historical point of view, appear to be four which having on the obverse the armed figure in the ship, like the rest, have nevertheless, instead of the arms of Edward III., those of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, as shown in the illuminations of Froissart, except the tinctures, which could not be expressed on coin, 1st and 4th quarters, azure semde of flours de Us or within a bordure compony gules and argent; 2nd and 3rd, bendy or and azure within a bordure gules, with the legend p. H. s. dei gka dtjx Buna comes &
DNS ELAND.
This quartered coat, sometimes called modern Burgundy, was assumed by Philip the Bold, fourth son of John II. of Prance, when created Duke of Burgundy in 1363. The coat in the 2nd and 3rd quarters is that of the first house of Burgundy, which flourished upwards of 320 years, and came to an end in 1361 by the decease of Philip le Rouvre, Duke of Burgundy, betrothed to Margaret, heiress presumptive of Flanders, who at the said date was about eleven years old. The arms on these Flemish nobles agree minutely with the coat depicted over the head-of Philip the Bold in the illumination of the MS. of Froissarfc in the British Museum, where he is represented sitting in council with the Duke of Berri.
The diameter of the coins is a little larger than a half-crown, the thickness scarcely more than that of a sixpence, the average weight. 120 grains, nearly that of a sovereign. They all appear to be of the finest gold and the impressions are mostly clear and sharp, showing very little wear from circulation, but some few are not so successfully coined as others, and are somewhat blurred.
The Bremeridge specimens bearing the name and arms of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders, were not devised by that right royal duke nor copied by him from some imaginary continental type, but are most interesting examples of an adoption and continuation of the coinage of gold nobles established in Flanders by our Edward III. the next month after the battle of Crécy in 1346.
The style Domirius, in addition to Conies Flandriae, appears to be a following of Dominus Hiberniae, part of the title of the English kings.
The putting together for contemplation a few dates, historical events, and documents, will best illustrate the history of gold nobles, both English and Flemish.
1327. Although Edward III. from his accession at the age of fifteen asserted his claim to be King of France, he did not actually take that title till about 1337, after consultation with Van Artevelde and the Flemings. In 1338 his third son Lionel was born at Antwerp, in the dukedom of Brabant, and was afterwards known as Lionel of Antwerp. Some suppose the name Lionel to have been chosen in allusion to the lion which is the heraldic bearing of the Duke of Brabant.
In 1339 Edward formally and regularly took the title of King of France, and quartered his arms with those of France to satisfy the Flemings.
1340. The victory at sea off Sluys.
Edward III., as early as 1336, had claimed that " the kings of England were lords of the English Sea on all sides." After this victory and the equally splendid one over the Spanish fleet in 1350 he was called by his own subjects and others " King of the Sea."11 . •
Edward's fourth son John was this year born at Ghent, and hence he was afterwards known as John of .Gaunt.
1343-4. First issue, of gold nobles. . .
In the following year. William , de.Edington became bishop of Winchester. He was born at Edington, Wilts, and founded the convent.and church there, to which Bremeridge, live. miles distant, afterwards belonged. He introduced Bonhoinmes, an order of Augustin friars, into the convent by the persuasion of Edward the Black Prince. He was. treasurer and chancellor of England, took much interest in the coinage, was a great favourite with Edward III., and was offered the archbishopric of Canterbury but refused it. He invented and introduced, in 1351, the groat.and half-groat, which seem to have been intended as a boon to , the poorer sort of the community, and so a fit sequel to the gold nobles for the rich and. great. He died in. 1366, and was succeeded as treasurer and chancellor of England and as bishop of Winchester by William of Wykeham
1346. On Saturday, the 26th of August, was fought the battle of Crécy, and on the 8th of September and 24th of March following were signed by Edward III. at Westminster agreements for the currency of English nobles in Flanders, and for coining nobles in Flanders to be current both there and in England.
In the same year was fought the battle of Neville's Cross, in which David II. of Scotland was taken prisoner. He remained captive in England eleven years.
1356. Battle of Poitiers.
John II. of France was taken prisoner with his fourth son Philip, then 16 years of age, who, from his bravery on this occasion and general character, was ever afterwards called " the Bold."
1360. Treaty of Bretigni. Edward III. renounced his claim to the throne of France in return for great concessions. This change is noted on his coins.
1363. Philip the Bold created Duke of Burgundy and first peer of France.
1369. He married Margaret, heiress presumptive of Manders. Edward III. resumed the title of King of Prance, which title accordingly reappears on his coins.
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1371. David II. had come to England in 1363 to negotiate for the succession of Edward's third son Lionel to the Scottish throne, and was then cordially received and recognised as King of Scotland. Shortly before his decease in 1371 he issued gold nobles in Scotland, in imitation of those of England.
1375. Great festivities and tournaments, lasting four days, were given at Ghent by the Duke of Burgundy.
1377. Decease of Edward III. and accession of his grandson Richard 11.
1384, Philip the Bold becomes Count of Elanders by the decease of Louis de MMe,c and assumes the style which appears on his nobles.
1399. llichard II. deposed, and succeeded by Henry IV.
1404. Philip the Bold dies, and is buried with great pomp in the Carthusian church which he had founded at Dijon. His magnificent tomb was taken to pieces in consequence of an order of the Commune in 1793 for its destruction ; but it was put together again in 1818 without much injury, and is now in the Museum at Dijon.'1 His widow survived him one year, and was buried in the Isle of Plandcrs.
1417. 5 Henry V. The nobles of Manders, "vulgarly called Bourgoigne nobles," are forbidden, under penalty, to be received in England, as being of less value than those now coined in England.
The nobles of the Bremeridge hoard are of various dates.
COPYRIGHT STEVE RICE 2006
Posted by steverice at 8:29 AM | TrackBack
July 29, 2006
Watford Herts Metal Detecting Rally
25th August to the 28th August £3 a tent all weekend,100 peeps only £10 a day £20 for weekend sat/sun
this is a open rally
all payments must be recieved before rally date to attend this
got a weekender 3 dayer this time folks around watford Herts area land will be worked rolled and seeded ,toilets on site plus catering van will be there ,camping from the 25th August to the 28th August £3 a tent all weekend,100 peeps only £10 a day £20 for weekend sat/sun if you book saturday or sunday you will get the mondays detecting free .if anybody wants to start to book you can but please state what day/days you want .if anybody needs any other info please pm myself {coldfeet} or warmheart for details
payment to Helen chester
67 cross street
stockingford
nuneaton
cv10 8hx..
ps As always please note I'm only the messenger boy in relation to this rally. I have nothing to do with organisation of it.
Posted by steverice at 11:16 AM | TrackBack
Trying to find that all illusive site!!
For those Metal Detectorists amongst us who go Metal Detecting each week, there can't be many who haven't got lost whilst trying to find that all illusive site. In the past most people lived in the country and a lot of sites that are available to us are also in the country. Needless to say there are some stories to be told of our adventures in the countryside. Here is a cartoon. Enjoy!!!
Posted by steverice at 10:51 AM | TrackBack
July 22, 2006
Account of Silver Rings and Coins discovered near Worcester
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.
ARTICLE AND IMAGES - COPYRIGHT STEVE RICE 2006
Posted by steverice at 10:18 AM | TrackBack
July 15, 2006
Wednesday 12th July Meeting
The meeting seemed to go down well. Bernard Mc.Donagh and his daughter Ruth giving a talk on deepsea diving on old wrecks. He gave an interesting talk on The ROYAL CHARTER, which sank off Anglesea around 1859.
Most people said they would like to invite Bernard and his daughter back. Bernard asked the club to donate his fee to The Royal Life Boat Soc. This is omething that will be looked at later in the year by the committee.
As usual at this time of the year - finds were on the short side. Hopefully come the next meeting and beyond the finds will start to grow!!!
Posted by steverice at 2:18 PM | TrackBack
July 13, 2006
Rally at Old Romney area of Kent - Sunday 3rd September
The Canterbury and District Searchers will be holding a one-day rally on Sunday 3rd September in aid of Cancer Research and a local children's charity.
The site is in Old Romney area of Kent where finds such as Saxon and Medieval coins and artefacts have been found in the past including a unique Henry I Penny.
Times 10am to 4.00 pm
There will be toilets and catering.
As always please remember I have no involvement in the event this just acts as a message board.
Tickets will be £15.00 and the numbers will be limited to about 150 people and need to be pre-booked. Anyone interested should phone Bernie Nutbrown on 01233-732051 or Mob 07771-865370
Posted by steverice at 9:15 AM | TrackBack
July 1, 2006
Metal Detecting Rally - Woolley nr Bath 16th July start at 9.30 am
Pay £8 on the day.
16 July dig at Woolley near Bath, M4 J18 (A46) head towards Bath, across
the roundabout, keep going for a few miles, look out for the sign for
Swainswick on your left, I will put out MD signs at the turning and then
follow more MD signs to the site.
All pasture that has been ploughed in the last 3 years, some last year,
Lots of fields now cut and a few more will be nice and short as the cows are doing a good job of keeping them down.
Have found roman and hammered on this land recently and also a few milled silver. Very very close to roman and medieval sites so some good coins should come up on the day.
Hope to see you all their.
Contact Andy for futher digs andyt66@btinternet.com or 07732808624
ps As always please note I'm only the messenger boy in relation to this rally. I have nothing to do with organisation of it.
Posted by steverice at 9:41 AM | TrackBack
HIGHEST PRICE EVER ACHIEVED FOR ENGLISH COIN AT AUCTION TODAY AT £460,000
A coin found by a Metal Detectorist in the South of England has fetched a massive £460,000 at Auction.
London - England's first large gold coin, the Edward III (1341-1343) Double Leopard, came up for sale today at Spink in London. The coin sold for a staggering £460,000 (US$841,800), against a pre-sale estimate of £100,000-150,000, making it the most expensive English Coin ever sold.
Bidders crowded the room to see history made in the auction world as the estimate was doubled then tripled and continued to climb in price. Towards the end two bidders were left in the fight for the coin, one in the room and one on the phone. At £390,000 a new bidder appeared and the coin received open applause from the room when he purchased the Double Leopard for a hammer price of £400,000.
"We knew that there would be huge interest", said Jeremy Cheek of Spink Auctions, "but this surpassed all our expectations".
Spink is the leading auction house for record prices of coins. It is in the privileged situation to have sold seven of the top ten coins auctioned over the years, including the top two.
History of the Coin:
This coin is the third known specimen of its kind. The two other examples, found in the bed of the river Tyne in 1857, are now both in the British Museum. No other specimens were known until this coin was discovered and dug up earlier this year by a metal detectorist in the south of England. This is therefore the only example in private hands. It is a slightly different variety to either of those in the British Museum.
The finder was working with the permission of the landowner who has a joint interest in the coin - the proceeds of the sale will be divided between them. In order to protect the site the find spot is not being disclosed.
The Gold Double Florin, authorised on 14 December 1343, was to circulate at a value of six-shillings. The first coins were struck in early 1344, but the coinage was not a success. The Double Florin was replaced by the Gold Noble, authorised on 9 July 1344, and therefore this magnificent coin was only legal tender for a brief seven months.
The obverse shows a full length portrait of Edward III enthroned beneath a Gothic portico. The King is crowned and holds an orb and sceptre. Two crowned Leopards sit at either side, and the surrounding fields are decorated with fleur de lis. The reverse is filled by a floriate cross with crowns at the four points, within a quadrilobe with four Leopards in the angles.
The Double Florin was the first large gold coin of England. It was intended primarily for foreign trade. The denomination was based on the gold Florin of Florence, and the design was derived from a French gold coin ("masse d'or") of Philip IV of France
(1285-1314).
Edward's issue of large gold coins was emblematic of the might of England during
his reign (1327-77). Edward ruled not only England but also much of France which he
claimed through his mother Isabella, daughter of Philip IV. It was Edward's brilliant son, the Black Prince, who secured English interests on the continent with his stunning victories at Poitiers and Crecy.
Recent Records Set by Spink:
2003 - Charles II Pattern Crown sold for £138,000
2004 - Coenwulf Gold Penny sold for £230,000
2005 - Queen Anne Vigo Five Guineas sold for £149,500
And now...
2006 - Edward III Double Leopard sold for £460,000
About Spink
Spink is the world's leading auctioneer of coins, stamps, medals and banknotes. Since its foundation in 1666, the Spink name has become synonymous with tradition, experience and integrity. Holders of three royal warrants and numerous records for prices achieved at auction, Spink offer an unparalleled range of services to collectors worldwide.
Full credits for article and photo go to Spink