Author: BNS Blog Coordinator

The Limerick Soviet Shilling Notes – 1919 and 2019 – Gary Oddie

Shortly after the Irish war of Independence began in January 1919, several areas declared themselves as self-governing Soviets. When Limerick was declared a Special Military area by the British army on 9 April, a general strike was called to start on the 14th and the Limerick Soviet began. Negotiations brought an end to the strike on 27 April. From 15-27 April a series of 1, 5 and 10 shilling notes were issued, and these are well-known to collectors.  Less well known are the 1, 5 and 10 shilling notes that were issued in Limerick for the centenary celebrations. The notes circulated in several Limerick shops and businesses, exchanging at 1 shilling = 1 euro, and ceased circulation at midnight on 1 May 2019. There are similarities with the British Transition Town notes such as the Bristol, Lewes or Totnes Pounds.

The annotations of Robert Kerr in a copy of The Coinage of Scotland by Edward Burns – David Rampling

An annotated book provides access to the informal discernments of one who has shared thesame interests as the reader. The annotations are of particular value if their author wasknowledgeable in the subject under review. Robert Kerr was one such person, having had aworking relationship over an extended period with the National collection of Scottish coins.His annotations in the seminal text on Scottish numismatics may therefore be of interest tostudents of the series.I have endeavoured to organise Kerr’s jottings in a compact and accessible format. Quiteapart from their value as commentary and expansion of the text, they are evidence of thecuratorial oversights of a former age.

Columbia Market and its Tokens – Bob Williams† and Gary Oddie

This note provides an update to the 1993 booklet ‘Columbia Market’ published by the late Bob Williams. The original introductory text is repeated, followed by a group of new illustrations relating to the market. The new catalogue expands the number of known types from 13 to 27, with most fully illustrated. Brief notes from trade directories, newspapers and genealogical searches are added to the catalogue entries. An early advertisement for the market is presented along with transcripts of relevant directories, confirming the presence of many of the names and will allow newly discovered tokens to be quickly identified and dated.

Henry III Long Cross Pennies – Class 2bi – The Coinage of the Lincoln Mint – Ian M. Heavisides & Rob Page

There were three provincial mints that issued pennies of Class 2bi; Lincoln, Northampton and Winchester.It appears that the class was short-lived, and that the issue of dies was limited. We have taken each mint in turn and examined the dies known to exist, identifying these along with the corresponding reverse dies used with them.There appear to be four obverse dies of Lincoln for Class 2bi and two further dies that are contemporary forgeries. Included here are copious illustrations and some suggested means of die identification in order to avoid any confusion caused by wear and in some cases re-cutting.

The Checks of George Prier, Borough Market – Gary Oddie

The recent find of a small wooden box containing 332 checks issued by G. Prier at Borough Market, London is presented. Background research on the issuer suggests that George Prier (1835-1902) started trading at Boro in a partnership (dissolved 1867) and then as a sole trader 1869-94. For a late nineteenth century token box to survive, complete with contents, is extremely unusual.

The R.C Lockett Collection – A New Resource on the BNS Website

Cyril Richard Lockett (1873-1950) was the Chairman of William & John Lockett Ltd., shipowners in Liverpool. He commenced collecting c.1906, focussing on the English series, purchasing heavily in the Rashleigh (1909), Carlyon-Britton (1913-18), Walters (1913), Roth (1917-18), Bruun (1925), Huth (1927), Morrieson (1933), Lord Grantley (1943-45) and other collections. From the 1920s his numismatic collecting interests expanded to Greek coins and then continental, Roman and Byzantine coins, building one of the largest and most important numismatic collections in the United Kingdom. His collection of English Milled (Cromwell to Victoria) was sold at Sotheby’s (28 April 1927) and after his death his vast collection was sold by Glendining’s in 14 sales over a seven-year period (1955-1961) to avoid flooding the market. The British Numismatic Society holds Lockett’s own 58 volume manuscript catalogue of his collection. These volumes provide a unique insight into Lockett as a discerning numismatic connoisseur, while documenting provenances of his purchases and his hand-written observations about the coins

read more The R.C Lockett Collection – A New Resource on the BNS Website

The Jacks put to their Trumps: A Tale of a King James’s Irish Shilling – Gary Oddie

This short note presents details of a recent chance find of a pamphlet dated 1714. The 27 verses describe, in the first person, the life of a gunmoney shilling in the decades after its issue. This work was once attributed to Jonathan swift, though not conclusively. The work has similarities to better-known works by Joseph Addison (Adventures Of A Shilling, 1710) and John Taylor (A Shilling, or, the travailes of a twelve pence, 1621).