This note will deal, in two parts, with the professional life and family circumstances of the eminent numismatic scholar and coin collector, Laurie Asher Lawrence (1857-1949) ; and with the evidence that his surviving manuscript catalogue provides for the content of his first coin collection, disposed of by him in 1903.
Author: BNS Blog Coordinator
A Notice of Counterfeiting and Punishment from 1653 – Gary Oddie
This short note describes a contemporary reference, from 1653, to the counterfeiting of silver coin using pewter and the unusual punishment meted out to the perpetrators. The main actors were mutilated and hanged and their accomplices received severe corporal punishment.
Exchange of dies between London and Canterbury in the 1290’s – Denis Martin
In a recent article on the BNJ Research Blog David Greenhalgh discusses the possible exchange of a LON/DON reverse die recut to read CAN/TOR. In reply to a comment posted by Ian Heavisides, David added the following response. “We know that dies were sometimes sent from London to Canterbury and back again when there was a need at Canterbury (the class 6b Cant[erbury] comes to mind)” It is the purpose of this short note to amplify the final comment in the above statement.
Celtic coins published by John White – David Rampling
A late eighteenth century bound compilation of numismatic notes and ephemera in my possession contains illustrations of Celtic coins, along with a handwritten transcript of an accompanying text. The original of these inclusions is a 1773 publication by the notorious John White, of Newgate Street, London. The original publication is very rare, and not readily accessible. In this note I reproduce the coin images, and provide an internet link to the elusive text. White’s publication is of historic interest, and perhaps to some degree balances his tarnished reputation as a producer of counterfeit coins.
British Coins and their links to the West African slave trade – Graham Birch
The topic that I address in my blog piece is to ask the question: “In the light of the current anti-racism protests, should numismatists be concerned about the obvious slave trading associations of certain British coins in their collections?”. I then go on to examine the origins of the metals which went into the “Elephant” and “Elephant & Castle” guineas (Royal African Company link) as well as the silver coins minted with SSC on the reverse (South Sea Company link).
Elias Neel Jersey Bank Token of 1812 – Hugh Pagan
This note explores the circumstances surrounding the manufacture of the Elias Neel Jersey Bank Token of 1812, seemingly known only from a single specimen of which the whereabouts cannot be traced today. It also discusses which of three Elias Neels living on the island of Jersey is most likely to have been the individual for whom the token was struck.
An Interesting Re-cut Penny Reverse Die for Early Edward II – D. I. Greenhalgh
This note concerns an early Edward II penny, of class 10c-f, crown 3, struck mid 1307 – 1309.
An Interesting “Fine Work” Shilling of Charles 1? – David Holt
A possible new type of Charles 1 ” Fine Work ” shilling has appeared in a recent auction and is assessed in this article.
Manville Type 115. Is it Genuine or Fake? – Tom Ward and Eric C. Hodge
Allocating an issuer for a merchant countermarked dollar, where only the issuer’s initials are present, will always be a complicated task. At the same time questions must be raised for the reasons to use initials, where a full name would assist with the acceptance and distribution of the countermarked coin. The example of the countermark J D over 5•6 is discussed at length in this article.
King John’s Pellets: Die-cutter Signatures? – Robert Page
Observations of the reverses of 48 King John pennies of the moneyer Roberd at Dublin has revealed the presence of pellets on many of the coins. This brief article illustrates the different varieties observed and speculates on their meaning. Reader comments and suggestions are encouraged, as are comments on additional pellet configurations, including those from other moneyers or denominations.
