Throughout the Henry III long cross series one often sees the capital letter “H” used for an “N”. This usage is not consistent, in that many coins have a mixture of “H” and “N” in their reverse legends. In this small study I have analysed the proportions of different usages of H/N for several mints and moneyers. This has allowed various conclusions to be made about the die preparation process, and has highlighted some rarer lettering combinations that collectors may wish to look out for. I would very much welcome feedback on the observations and conclusions presented.
Author: BNS Blog Coordinator
Dies for a Fantasy Bristol Public Free Libraries Token – Gary Oddie
Two previous articles have described a group of dies that have been used to create modern copies of various tokens. These included transport tokens from England and a plantation token from the Dutch East Indies. Two further dies from this group have recently been located and are described here.
Insights into a die breakup for a Charles I Aberystwyth threepence – D.I. Greenhagh
Looking into the breakup of a threepenny piece die at the Aberystwyth mint in the reign of Charles I, and the relevance in the dating of die sequences.
An Addition to the Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles 35: Scottish Coins in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow – Cameron Maclean
This brief note serves as a record of one of William Hunter’s Scottish coins that was not included in the Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles 35: Scottish coins in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. The reasons for its exclusion will also be discussed.
Ballindalloch Works Checks revisited – Further Contemporary Documentation Discovered – Eric C. Hodge
Further to my article for the BNS research blog filed under Tokens, dated 12 July 2018, and headed Ballindalloch Works Checks, more documentation has been discovered that casts new light on these issues of Works Checks by the Ballindalloch Cotton Works.
A new obverse local die from the Durham mint of Edward I – Denis Martin
The local dies sunk in Durham around 1300 during the reign of Edward I produced a small series of scarce coins often not recognised by collectors. These coins were discussed by J.J.North in a ground- breaking article in the British Numismatic Journal, 1984. In it he discussed some reverse local dies which carry very distinctive lettering. Only recently discovered is an obverse die with the same unusual lettering. The coin is now in the author’s collection.
A Pewter Oddity from the Thames Foreshore – A G Bliss
The River Thames, sometimes described as the longest archaeological site in the world, has produced an unparalleled assemblage of finds dating from prehistory to the present-day. Many of these objects have come to light due to the efforts of licenced modern ‘mudlarks’, who are permitted to recover objects from the foreshore and subsequently record them with the Museum of London. This short article discusses one such object discovered some years ago – a large, 18th century pewter medal which is completely unparalleled in any publication. The author suggests in the following discussion that based on the evidence available, this piece may be interpreted as a trial strike for an unproduced medal commemorating the Act(s) of Union in 1707.
Short Cross Coins from the Rhuddlan mint.
Numismatic researcher and publisher Gerry Slevin is preparing a new publication on the short cross coins of the Rhuddlan mint. He is looking for images of good quality coins of the Rhuddlan mint that he can include in his die study. Anyone willing to assist by providing images, that they are happy to have published, should please contact Gerry directly at gerryslevin@virginmedia.com Thanks for any assistance.
A New Moneyer for the Mint of Aylesbury – R. Ambrose.
A new coin of the Anglo-Saxon mint of Aylesbury adds a new moneyer to the small complement already known there, and opens up the possibility that the mint was established by moneyers from the nearby established mint of Northampton. Two further coins of the mint are also recorded for the first time.
A New Reverse Legend for Rigold’s Series I/C Groat-Sized ‘Boy Bishop’ Tokens – A. G. Bliss
During the later 15th and early 16th century, large numbers of leaden tokens were produced across Suffolk as a component of the ‘Boy Bishop’ festivities that accompanied the liturgical celebration of St Nicholas. Despite the large quantities of these tokens that exist and the proliferation of new variants, little work has been undertaken on them since Stuart Rigold’s typology was developed in the late 1970s. This note brings to attention and translates a new reverse legend for his series I/C, encountered on two new pieces recently recorded by the Suffolk Portable Antiquities Scheme.
