MISCELLANEA - British Numismatic Society BNJ... · monumental altar on the reverse of the Divus...

MISCELLANEA A N C I E N T B R I T I S H S I L V E R C O I N S

F R O M C H I C H E S T E R

T H E c o i n finds f r o m t h e e x c a v a t i o n c o n d u c t e d a t C h i c h e s t e r b e t w e e n 1968 a n d 1973 i n c l u d e d n o less t h a n n i n e o f t h e r a r e s i lver c o i n s , m o s t l y m i n i m s , of t h e l a s t d e c a d e s of t h e A n c i e n t B r i t i s h c o i n a g e b e f o r e t h e R o m a n c o n q u e s t in A.D. 43 . T h r o u g h t h e g e n e r o s i t y o f t h e o w n e r s o f t h e seve ra l s i tes o n w h i c h t h e s e co in s w e r e f o u n d , a n d t h e g o o d off ices of M r . A l e c D o w n in c h a r g e o f t h e e x c a v a t i o n s , al l n i n e c o i n s h a v e b e e n d o n a t e d t o t h e Br i t i sh M u s e u m , a n d it is a p l e a s a n t d u t y t o r e c o r d s ince re a p p r e c i a t i o n of t h e g e n e r o s i t y w h i c h h a s e n s u r e d t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n o f t h e s e i m -p o r t a n t i t e m s in t h e N a t i o n a l C o l l e c t i o n , a n d t h e i r ava i l ab i l i t y f o r c o n s u l t a t i o n . I n t h e d e s c r i p -t ive list b e l o w n o s . 1, 2 , 5, 7, 8, a n d 9 w e r e p r e -s e n t e d b y t h e P o s t Off ice , n o s . 3 a n d 4 b y t h e B i s h o p of C h i c h e s t e r , a n d n o . 6 h a s b e e n d e p o s i t e d o n l o a n b y W e s t Sussex C o u n c i l .

T h e s e c o i n s will b e p u b l i s h e d in t h e i r a r c h a e o -log ica l c o n t e x t in t h e t h i r d v o l u m e of t h e r e p o r t o n t h e C h i c h e s t e r e x c a v a t i o n s w h i c h is n o w b e i n g p r e p a r e d . T h e p u r p o s e of th i s n o t e is p r i m a r i l y t o m a k e t h e de ta i l s o f t h i s g r o u p a v a i l a b l e t o n u m i s m a t i s t s . (PL I , 1 - 9 , w h e r e t h e n u m b e r i n g c o r r e s p o n d s w i t h t h a t u s e d in t h i s l is t . )

A T R E B A T E S A N D R E G N I

Tincommius (c. 2 0 B.C.-A.D. 5).

1. Obv. L e t t e r s TINC d i s p o s e d in a circle. Rev. L i o n t o l e f t ; a r o u n d , COMF.

W t . 1 -14 g m .

Verica (c. A.D. 10-40) .

2 . Obv. A t c e n t r e , sma l l c i rc le w i t h c e n t r a l d o t , all s u r r o u n d e d b y f o u r g r o u p s o f t h r e e d o t s .

Rev. L i o n t o r i g h t ; a b o v e , VTR, a n d b e l o w , t r e fo i l b e t w e e n t w o a n n u l e t s . W t . 0-30 g m . (BNJ X X X V I , p i . 14, 14).

3. Obv. I n t w o l ines o n a t a b l e t VIR/VAR. Rev. P e g a s u s t o r i g h t ; b e l o w , c o .

W t . 0-34 g m .

4 . Obv. B u c r a n i u m ; a r o u n d , VERICA. Rev. T o m b o r m o n u m e n t a l a l t a r ; t o l e f t c ,

t o r i g h t F. W t . 0-29 g m .

C A N T I I

Amminus (c. A.D. 15).

5 - 6 . Obv. A in c e n t r e of t w o i n t e r l a c e d s q u a r e s w i t h c u r v e d s ides .

Rev. B i r d t o r i g h t . W t . 0-39 g m . ; 0-31 g m . ( M a c k 316).

C A T U V E L L A U N I

Epaticcus (c. A.D. 2 5 - 3 5 ) .

7. Obv. H e a d of H e r c u l e s t o r i g h t ; in f r o n t , EPATI.

Rev. E a g l e f a c i n g w i t h o u t s p r e a d w i n g s a n d h e a d t u r n e d le f t , s t a n d i n g o n a s e r p e n t . W t . 1-03 g m . ( M a c k 263) .

8. Obv. W i n g e d V i c t o r y s e a t e d r i g h t h o l d i n g w r e a t h TASCIOV.

Rev. B o a r t o r i g h t ; b e l o w , EPAT. W t . 1-13 g m . ( M a c k 263A).

9. Obv. EPATI. A b o v e a n d b e l o w , a n a n n u l e t e n c l o s i n g a pe l le t .

Rev. B o a r ' s h e a d t o r i g h t ; b e l o w TA. W t . 0-31 g m . ( M a c k 264) .

O f t h e c o i n s o f t h e A t r e b a t e s a n d R e g n i t h e c o i n o f T i n c o m m i u s a p p e a r s t o b e q u i t e n e w , b u t t h e l i o n t y p e o n t h e r e v e r s e is k n o w n in th i s ser ies o n r a r e m i n i m s of V e r i c a o f w h i c h n o . 2 in t h e list is a n e x a m p l e . T h i s l a t t e r c o i n h a s t h e s a m e t y p e s a s a m i n i m f o u n d a t O w l e s b u r y n e a r W i n c h e s t e r a n d p u b l i s h e d in a n ea r l i e r n u m b e r of t h e j o u r n a l , b u t t h e r e v e r s e a p p e a r s t o b e f r o m a d i f f e r en t die . W h e r e o n t h e ea r l i e r c o i n t r a c e s o f t h e l e t t e r s R a n d x w e r e d i s c e r n e d , flanking t h e t r e fo i l b e l o w t h e l i o n , o n t h e p r e s e n t c o i n t h e t r e fo i l a p p e a r s t o b e flanked s i m p l y b y a n n u l e t s .

T h e r e m a i n i n g t w o m i n i m s o f V e r i c a a r e b o t h n e w . O n t h e o b v e r s e o f n o . 3 a t w o - l i n e i n s c r i p t i o n gives t h e n o t u n c o m m o n a b b r e v i a t i o n o f t h e k i n g ' s n a m e , VIR, a c c o m p a n i e d b y t h e e n i g m a t i c l e t t e r s , VAR. C o i n n o . 4 is t h e m o s t i n t e r e s t i n g a n d n o v e l o f t h e w h o l e g r o u p . T h e k i n g ' s n a m e is g iven i n fu l l , w i t h t h e l e t t e r s o f VERICA d i s p o s e d c i r cu l a r l y a r o u n d a b u c r a n i u m , a n o v e l t y p e in t h e A n c i e n t B r i t i s h c o i n a g e . O n t h e r e ve r s e t h e a p p e a r a n c e o f a n a r c h i t e c t u r a l t y p e is s o m e t h i n g q u i t e u n e x p e c t e d in t h i s ser ies . T h e p rec i s e i den t i -fication of t h e b u i l d i n g r e m a i n s a m a t t e r o f c o n -j e c t u r e . T h e d o m e d r o o f sugges t s t h a t it is a t o m b ,

PLATE VII VOL. XLIV

CARSON, CHICHESTER yR, SCALE 3: I

M I S C E L L A N E A 93

p r e s u m a b l y a roya l t o m b , poss ibly tha t of Ver ica ' s f a the r , C o m m i u s . W i t h t he excep t ion of the d o m e d r o o f the detai ls of t he reverse type a r e s t rongly remin i scen t of a R o m a n coin type . T h e ang led base of t h e s t ruc ture , a n d t he d o u b l e d o o r s o n t he f r o n t , e a c h d e c o r a t e d wi th t w o s tuds , recall t he m o n u m e n t a l a l t a r o n t he reverse of t he Divus Augustus Pater b r o n z e asses of T iber ius . 1 O n t he R o m a n type t he a l t a r is flanked by the let ters s - c in exact ly t he pos i t ion occup ied by t he le t ters C-F o n this m i n i m . T h a t the types of R o m a n gold a n d silver co ins a r e reflected in the la te Anc i en t Bri t ish c o i n a g e is a c o m m o n p l a c e , a n d the re is n o lack of a rchaeo log ica l ev idence f o r t he presence of t h e R o m a n or ig inals in Br i ta in , b u t it is difficult t o p r o d u c e h a r d evidence f o r fami l ia r i ty wi th R o m a n b r o n z e co inage be fo re t he C l a u d i a n invas ion .

T h e m i n i m s , nos . 5 a n d 6, w i t h le t ter A o n t he obverse , a r e f u r t h e r examples of t h e co in w h i c h h a s been ident i f ied as p a r t of t h e r a r e co inage a t t r i b u t e d t o A m m i n u s , t h o u g h t t o be a ch ie f t a in of t he Cant i i .

T h e last g r o u p consis ts of th ree co ins of Epa t i ccus , s o n of T a s c i o v a n u s of the C a t u v e l l a u n i , a n d b r o t h e r of C u n o b e l i n . T h e types of all t h ree co ins a r e k n o w n . A f ew examples of n o . 7 a r e r e c o r d e d b u t n o . 8 is on ly t he s econd e x a m p l e of t he co in f o u n d in the B a g e n d o n excava t ions , whi le n o . 9 was previous ly k n o w n on ly f r o m a n e lec t ro type in t he Br i t i sh M u s e u m of a m i n i m of unce r t a in p rovenance . Th i s n e w e x a m p l e enab le s t he reverse type t o be ident i f ied as a b o a r ' s h e a d a c c o m p a n i e d by the let ters T A.

R . A. G . CARSON

T H E S E L L I N D G E ( A L D I N G T O N ) K E N T F I N D , 1974-1975

I N J u n e 1974 Miss D i a n a Pr ice d iscovered t w o silver g roa t s of 1553^1 d u r i n g t he p l o u g h i n g of a field a t P a r t r i d g e F a r m , Sell indge, K e n t . A f u r t h e r sea rch o n 9 M a r c h 1975, b y m e m b e r s of t he A s h f o r d Archaeo log ica l Society, disclosed a f u r t h e r f o u r t e e n s ix t een th - seven teen th -cen tu ry silver coins in a n a r e a n o larger t h a n a d inne r p la te . A t a n inques t held a t A s h f o r d o n 3 J u n e 1975 it was dec ided t h a t t h e find d id n o t cons t i tu te T r e a s u r e T r o v e a n d the coins were r e t u r n e d t o t he finders.

T h e co ins a r e b a d l y w o r n a n d a p p e a r t o h a v e been los t d u r i n g t h e second hal f of t he seven teen th c e n t u r y a t a d a t e cons ide rab ly later t h a n t h a t of t he latest co in (1643-5) .

Mary 11553^f

1 - 2 . G r o a t s 1553-4

Philip and Mary 1554-8

3. G r o a t 1554-8

Elizabeth 11558-1603

m m p o m e g r a n a t e

m m lis

Charles 11625^9 13-15. Sixpences 1636-8 16. Sixpence 1643-5

m m t u n m m (P) o r (R)

Weight in grains

16-9, 19-4

20-6

4. Sixpence 1565 m m rose 27-9 5 - 7 . Sixpences 1568 m m c o r o n e t 25-9, 8. S ixpence 1578 m m pla in cross 30-2 9. Sixpence 1580 m m pla in cross 29-7 10. T h r e e p e n c e 1 5 ? ? m m ? 12-8

James /1603-25

11. Shill ing 1603-4 m m thistle, s econd bus t 74-8 12. H a l f - g r o a t 1603-19 m m ? 9-5

35-8, 35-! 39-5

39-8

STEPHEN A. CASTLE

BMCRE i, Tiberius 146 f f , A.D. 22-30.

94 M I S C E L L A N E A

A S M A L L H O A R D O F S E V E N T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y

T O K E N S , B U S H E Y , H E R T S . , 1 9 6 5

A SMALL h o a r d of seven teen th -cen tu ry t o k e n s w a s f o u n d in 1965 b e n e a t h t h e floorboards of a b e d r o o m a t N o . 6 H i g h Street , Bushey . 1 Th i s h o u s e is p a r t of a n in te res t ing g r o u p of e ight o p p o s i t e t h e pa r i sh c h u r c h a n d p o n d , r a n g i n g in p e r i o d f r o m the s ix teen th t o t he n ine t een th centur ies . I t is u n d o u b t e d l y t h e o ldes t of t h e g r o u p , f o r m i n g p a r t of a t i m b e r - f r a m e d hall h o u s e

of t w o bays , w i t h ang led q u e e n pos t s , bui l t a p -p r o x i m a t e l y in t h e year 1500.2 A n u p p e r floor w a s inse r t ed , p r o b a b l y in the ear ly seven teen th cen-tu ry . Th i s h o u s e w o u l d h a v e been o n e of t he m o r e i m p o r t a n t res idences in t he village of B u s h e y d u r i n g t h e s ix teen th a n d seven teen th centur ies .

Six t o k e n s were f o u n d , th ree of Bushey t r ades -m e n a n d th ree of W a t f o r d . T h e t o w n of W a t f o r d is on ly t h r ee mi les d i s t an t f r o m Bushey . I t is sig-n i f icant t h a t f o u r , if n o t five, of t he t o k e n s h a v e c o n n e c t i o n s w i t h inns a n d brewing . A n u m b e r

/ ^ / O / -J

J $ — __ HIGH s f^nr r——

cx

H I G H STREET, B U S H E Y

i . Early 19th century (No. 2) 2. 1500 circa timber framed hall house (where hoard was found) (No. 4 & 6) 3. Half-timbered late 16th and early 17th century (No. 8 & 10) 4. Twin-bayed half-timbered 17th century (Nos. 12 to 16) 5. Small 18th century (No. 18) 6. Late 18th century (No. 20) 7. 1800 circa (No. 22 & 24) 8. Early 19th century (No. 26) 9. Half-timbered 17th century

10. Modern Red Lion (on site of 17th-century inn)

Based on a map shown in Bushey Then and Now, Booklet No . 6 (Grant Longman and Graham Bailey).

1 I. D. Brown and M. Dolley, A Bibliography of 2 G r a h a m Bailey and Gran t Longman, Bushey Coin Hoards of Great Britain and Ireland 1500-1967 Then and Now Booklet No . 6 (1971), p. 6. (1971) (ER 20).

M I S C E L L A N E A 95

of l ead pieces of unce r t a in d a t e were f o u n d wi th t h e m .

T h e t o k e n s a r e as f o l l ows :

1 . U n p u b l i s h e d IEREMIAH • DELL • M a l t Shovel

•JT IN • BVSHEY • 1 6 6 4 D + •

I • E

F a r t h i n g b ra s s 360°

T h e fac t t ha t t he le t ter ing is inverse ind ica tes t h a t th is t o k e n was ac tua l ly f o r m e d f r o m the t w o t o k e n s m e n t i o n e d a b o v e a n d n o t f r o m dies. L e a d is of cou r se a very so f t me ta l . I t seems l ikely f r o m the i r regular i ty of t he flan t h a t it cons is t s o f t w o un i f ace flans pressed toge ther .

T h i s s t r ange h o m e - m a d e piece was p r o b a b l y t h e resu l t of a s h o r t a g e of t h e i ssuer ' s b r a s s t okens . D e l l m u s t h a v e h a d a P a g e t o k e n t o h a n d . B u s h e y a n d H a r r o w a r e less t h a n five miles a p a r t .

Th i s t o k e n w a s comple te ly u n k n o w n p r io r t o t h e finding of t he h o a r d . T h e device of a m a l t shovel ind ica tes t h a t t he issuer migh t well h a v e b e e n a n innkeepe r .

J e r e m i a h De l l was a we l l -known pe r son in Bushey , h o l d i n g office as c h u r c h w a r d e n (1656-7) , overseer of t he p o o r (1658-9) a n d (1667-9) , a n d su rveyor of t he h ighways (1660-1) a n d (1670-1) . H i s n a m e first a p p e a r s o n t he local r eco rds as a de f au l t e r a t t h e View of F r a n k p l e d g e of Bushey M a n o r in 1648. H e was t axed f o r th ree h e a r t h s in 1661. H e died in 1681, his wife, E l i zabe th , hav ing b e e n bu r i ed t w o years previously . I t is poss ib le t h a t J e r e m i a h Del l lived in t he h o u s e w h e r e t w o t o k e n s bea r ing his n a m e h a v e been f o u n d .

2 . U n p u b l i s h e d A lead impress ion of the obverse a b o v e m u l e d w i t h the impress ion of the reverse of a Midd le -sex t o k e n ( W 89) issued by N a t h a n i e l Page , a H a r r o w grocer . T h e reverse r eads

AT HARROW ON YE HILL N

P • •

F a r t h i n g size 360°

3 . W 7 3 ft WILL : LITCHFIELD • OF • BUSHEY L i o n R a m p a n t h o l d i n g a n a r r o w |

FT JOHN • PILE • OF • BUSHEY 16 M a l t Shovel 69

4 . W 2 1 2 3} GEORGE • BROCKETT • AT • Y^ Swan

IN • WATTFORD • I f t 6 f t 6 f t 8 f t HIS

HALFE PENY

Brass f a r t h i n g 180° A n innkeeper ' s t o k e n •

Brass f a r t h i n g 360°

Will Li tchfield a n d J o h n Pile m a y h a v e been partners—-joint l and lo rds of t he R e d L i o n w h i c h still exists in t he H i g h Street ( N o . 50), o n l y a h u n d r e d ya rds a w a y f r o m the h o u s e w h e r e th is t o k e n was f o u n d . I t is k n o w n t h a t the re was a n I n n of t he s a m e n a m e o n t he site in t he seven-t e e n t h cen tury . T h e presen t bu i ld ing da tes f r o m 1895.

L i k e Del l , Will Li tchf ie ld was a p r o m i n e n t res ident in Bushey , a n d his n a m e f r e q u e n t l y a p p e a r s in t he r eco rds d u r i n g t he pe r iod 1651-78. H e was a c o p y h o l d e r a n d t r a d e d as a bui lder .

I t is in teres t ing t o n o t e t h a t t he device o n J e r e m i a h Del l ' s t o k e n c o r r e s p o n d s wi th tha t o n t he reverse of this piece.

M I S C E L L A N E A 323

T h e S w a n still exists in t he L o w e r H i g h Street , h a v i n g been rebui l t twice since t he seventeen th cen tury .

5 . W 2 2 0 • IOHN • & IONATHON" NEWMAN L i o n R a m p a n t

TALLOW • CHANDLER . WATFORD

i a b o v e st ick of 7 candles Brass f a r t h i n g 360°

A n o t h e r i nnkeepe r ' s t o k e n . P r o b a b l y r e l a t ed , these t w o issuers s eem to h a v e c o m b i n e d t h e t r a d e of i nnkeep ing wi th t h a t of chand le r . T h e ' R e d L i o n ' was s i t ua t ed in t h e H i g h St ree t n e a r t h e en t r ance t o t he o l d p u b l i c m a r k e t .

6. U n p u b l i s h e d • T«JERMAN IN

WAT C o t t a g e L o a f (on b o t h faces)

J« BVRGES FORD 1653 (Borde r of roset tes)

L e a d f a r t h i n g 360°

A spec imen of this l ead piece is r e fe r red t o in W . L o n g m a n ' s n o t e b o o k ( n o w in H e r t f o r d M u s e u m ) . L o n g m a n ' s col lec t ion was so ld a t G l e n d i n i n g s in 1957 a n d th is l ead t o k e n is m e n -t ioned in t h e c a t a l o g u e (17 Ju ly 1957). I t is n o w in t he N o r w e b col lec t ion in t he U . S . A . W e h a v e c o m e across n o o t h e r spec imen.

A la ter t o k e n was issued b y t he s a m e t w o issuers in 1669 ( W 216).

7. A lead t o k e n (cast) , d i a m 12-5 m m .

O n e f ace bea r s c r u d e le t ter ing i K wi th in a circle. T h e o t h e r f ace bea rs t he le t ter E wi th in a circle. T h e size a n d style of this piece is s imi la r t o t ha t of a n ear ly L o n d o n t r a d e s m a n ' s f a r t h i n g t o k e n of cast pewte r d a t e d 1644 ( N o r w e b collec-t i on , U .S .A . ) . 1

8. A n o t h e r cast l ead t o k e n , d i a m . 17 m m .

Th i s is u n i f a c e a n d bea rs a dis t inct ive cross . T h e b l a n k reverse h a s a ra i sed r im .

I t is a l m o s t imposs ib le t o d a t e this piece.

Acknowledgements

T h e a u t h o r s a r e i n d e b t e d t o M r . G r a n t L o n g -m a n f o r a l lowing t h e m t o pub l i sh his n o t e s o n t h e B u s h e y issuers, a n d t o M r . H . A . B a t c h e l o r f o r k ind ly p r o v i d i n g p h o t o g r a p h s .

GEORGE BERRY AND BRYEN WOOD

1 Illustrated in George C. Boon, Welsh Tokens of the Seventeenth Century (1973), fig. 1. no. 10.