This brief note details some dangerous forgeries of Anglo-Saxon and Norman pence, all offered for sale via eBay during 2019 and 2020. These pieces are of particular concern as many are artificially distressed, a feature which makes them more convincing to those unfamiliar with them.
Author: BNS Blog Coordinator
Caveat Emptor II: Modern Forgeries of Richard II – D. I. Greenhalgh
Following up on the previous article by Rob Page on fakes of Henry III, here is a brief article describing some fakes of Richard II.
Caveat Emptor: Some Modern Fakes of Henry III Long Cross Pennies – Rob Page
The appearance on the market of increasingly sophisticated forgeries should be a source of concern to all collectors, not just those of Henry III. This article describes four forgeries of Henry III pennies, and advises caution when considering buying coins being sold from Eastern Europe.
The Coinage of Caratacus – Mike Cuddeford
This is a minor revision to the version published in the Winter 2020 edition of Caesaromagvs, the journal of the Essex Numismatic Society, and discusses the attribution of certain Late Iron Age silver coins from the Southern Region inscribed ‘CARA’ to the historical Caratacus.
Iconic Sceats – Tony Abramson
The author attempts to weave a single thread through the more exotic species of the complex, heavily interrelated sceatta coinage.
Henry III (Posthumous) Class 7 Pennies, Part 3 – The Dies of Renaud of London – Robert Page
This article continues a series of articles on class 7 pennies, and illustrates the different known dies of Renaud. The author is still actively seeking further class 7 examples, and would appreciate being notified of any further such coins by use of the comment facility below. Earlier articles in this series: Henry III (Posthumous), Class 7 Pennies from the London Mint Henry III (Posthumous), Class 7 Pennies from the London Mint, Pt 2 – Renaud April 2021 UPDATE: Please note that coin types described as 7b and 7c in this article have now been re-named 7c and 7b. This revised nomenclature results from the realisation that double-headed sceptred coins exist also for Phelip as well as Renaud. The same revision applies to article #2 also.
The Medals of Abraham Abramson – Tony Abramson
Many will recall a handsomely engraved medal used widely during the bicentenary of Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar. Few will know much about the medallist. Abraham Abramson was fortunate to be at the height of his powers at a time of then unprecedented artistic, scientific and technological advance, military struggle, political and social reform. This was a medal with which I was quite familiar as I had a choice example – after all, this was the finest work of my coincidental namesake.
Numismatic Material of Beonna’s Interlace Type – Tony Abramson
Three artefacts found by metal detection in recent years appear to have design elements in common with the early pennies of Beonna of East Anglia (749 – c.760). These may have had commercial purposes, possibly as weights. This article by Tony Abramson explores the possibilities.
A vital clue in establishing Northumbrian chronology for early pennies – Tony Abramson
In late 2020, a find of an early Northumbria penny from Hayton, East Yorkshire, cast new light on the chronology of the northern royal silver coinage. The coin has a die link with an extremely rare type associated with the patrician king Aethelwald Moll, yet bears the named-moneyer reverse attributed to his son’s second reign three decades later. In this article, Tony Abramson suggests how this find may fit into the sequence.
Tumbledown Dick or Richard IV? – The Story Behind the Coin – Barry Lord
For those interested in the coinage of the Commonwealth this reprint from Caesaromagvs, the journal of the Essex Numismatic Society, should prove interesting; it provides an overview of Richard Cromwell.
