This note continues the die studies of James I shillings, working backwards through the mintmarks of the second issue. Here the mintmark Tower is presented – issued 22nd May 1612 to 28th April 1613. With just 21 specimens found struck from 12 obverse and 11 reverse dies, including four legend variations, the coverage is 0.71 and there are likely to be a total of around 21 obverse and 20 reverse dies.
Author: BNS Blog Coordinator
Contemporary Counterfeit Shillings of James I, 1603-1625, Circulating to 1696-7 – Gary Oddie
This note takes a small detour from the die studies being carried out for the shillings of the various issues and mint marks of James I and looks at contemporary counterfeits of the shillings of this reign. The pieces turn out to be somewhat rarer than those of the following reign (Charles I) with images of just 30 pieces being found. This includes the 12 pieces accumulated in the Baldwins forgery cabinet accumulated over the past 140 years. A contemporary counterfeiter’s die is also presented, with images thanks to the Royal Mint Museum, along with the rediscovery of a likely later striking in lead sold in the R. Carlyon-Britton and H.M. Lingford collections in 1949 and 1951 respectively. As the James I shillings would circulate through the civil war and up to the recoinage of 1696-7, there were plenty of opportunities for counterfeiting, especially as the official hammered coinage deteriorated. A simple correlation between weight (wear) and diameter (clipping) is
The Chronology of The Preparation of Plates For Martin Folkes’s Writings on English Gold and Silver Coins – Hugh Pagan
A New Type for Henry VI York Restoration Pence – Timothy Cook and Dave Greenhalgh
Silver Tazzae by Mappin and Webb and attributed to Percy Metcalfe – designer of the “Thrift” Brass Threepence – Graham Birch
A Fourth Specimen of the Putative Coinage of Willibrord – Tony Abramson and Ype de Jong
An additional find of a rare sceat helps to establish the chronology of the evolving reverse dies.
Three Recently Added New Features on the Medieval Coin Hoards Website, MCHBI – Rob Page
A brief note describing three new features on the MCHBI website.
Edward IV: A Second Reign London Farthing – Lee Stone
Manorial money? Three unusual lead tokens from St Mary Bourne, Hampshire – A.G. Bliss
Lead tokens are widespread finds across Britain, with most dating to the post medieval period. However, despite the relatively large numbers that exist, few can be dated closely or associated definitively with specific individuals. This note discusses a highly unusual group of three identical tokens from St Mary Bourne, Hampshire, presenting evidence for their production by a nearby manor controlled by the Priory of Winchester Cathedral.
