Image: Treasure case 2008 T423, 293 Medieval silver coins from Piddletrenthide, Dorset (FindID 227212-332361)

Description: Hoard of 293 Medieval silver coins. 272 complete pennies, 2 broken pennies, 14 half groats, 4 groats. Found in a fragmentary pottery vessel. Date: Medieval Treasure Number - 2008 T423 Piddletrenthide, Dorset (2008 T423) I have examined a group of 293 silver coins reported found at Piddletrenthide, Dorset (there are also two extremely small silver fragments not included in the accompanying detailed catalogue). The bulk of the coins are silver issues of the kings of England, from Edward I to Richard II (1271-1399), and thus will be other the established sterling silver standard, 92.5% fine metal. Issues of English kings at the Berwick mint and in Ireland followed these standards, as did those of Alexander III, King of Scots - all of these coins are encountered in use in England in the 14th century. The only coins struck to a lower standard are the Second Coinage halfpennies of Edward III, which have a silver standard of 83%. Most of the remaining coins are sterlings struck by continental rulers, i.e. coins based on the English penny in design. The fineness of these is variable, but all are over 10% fine silver and most are certainly over 50% silver. There is one relatively crude counterfeit penny. Most of the coins are pennies, or penny equivalents. Of the other coins issued at this time, there are none of the gold coins, but there are a small number of the other silver denominations. There are 5 halfpennies, though no farthings (the lowest value coin), while there are also 4 groats (worth fourpence and the largest silver coin) and 14 half-groats. The face value of the group was £1 6s.4½d, the equivalent of several hundred pounds in modern terms. Edward I's total recoinage of the English currency in 1279 was the last such complete change in medieval England. Thereafter, new issues joined older coins, which became increasingly worn and clipped. Reductions in the weight standard of the silver (based on the penny) occurred in 1344 and in 1351, after which most older coin was either reduced to the new standard, or culled out of currency. The next reduction of weight standards occurred in 1412. The range of coins present indicates material taken from the English currency on one occasion, probably in the decades to either side of 1400. The output of silver coinage at that time was very restricted and issues of Henry IV (1399-1413) were in short supply - there are none present in the find. The vast majority of coins in the Piddletrenthide find are in poor condition, showing signs of extreme or significant wear, which has had consequences for their identification. Their weight is generally down to the level introduced for the penny by the reform of 1412, so it seems likely that the find was deposited slightly before this occurred. It would suggest that the find consists of current coin, as available in Dorset in or around 1400-12, rather than it representing good quality savings, accumulated over time. It is my opinion that the coins found at Piddletrenthide fulfil the criteria of Treasure, according to the terms of the Act. Dr Barrie J. Cook Curator of Medieval and Early Modern Coinage Department of Coins and Medals British Museum London 28 July 2009 Piddletrenthide, Dorset (2008 T423) Catalogue [Fragmentary coins are indicated by an asterisk *] Edward I-Edward III, First Coinage Class 1 (May to December 1279) 1. Penny 1a/1c (reversed N) London 1.07 2-3. 1c London 1.1, 0.92 Class 2 (January to May 1280) 4-6. 2b London 1.03, 0.99, 0.84 7. Bristol 0.91 Class 3 (c. June 1280 to c. December 1281) 8-12. 3c London 1.1, 1.03, 0.89, 0.78, 0.74 13. Lincoln 0.89 14. 3e Newcastle 0.9 15-16. 3g London 1.32, 0.87 17. Canterbury 1.25 18-19. Bristol 1.06, 0.92 20. 3 (details uncertain) York 0.89 Class 4 (1282-9) 21-5 4a London 1.05, 1.02, 0.91, 0.84, 0.82 26. Canterbury 1.13 27-8. 4b London 1.07, 0.97 29-30. Canterbury 0.9, 0.77 31. 4d London 1.05 32-34. 4 (details uncertain) London 1.09, 0.97, 0.76 Class 5 (1289 to 1291) 35. 5b Durham cm 1.14 Class 6 (between 1292 and 1296) 36. 6b London 0.93 Class 8 (between 1294 and 1299) 37. 8a London 1.0 Class 9 (c. 1299 to end 1300/early 1301) 38-9. 9a London 1.07, 1.0 40-41. 9b1 London 1.2, 0.88 42-5. Canterbury 1.19, 1.05, 0.95, 0.86 46. Durham 1.05 47-8. Newcastle 1.04, 0.89 49. 9b2 London 0.97 50. York 0.99 Class 10 (early 1301 to late 1310) 51. 10ab1(a) (early 1301) London 1.04 52. 10ab1(b ) (1301-2) London 1.1 53. 10ab2 Durham 0.85 54. 10ab2 or 3 EDWARD London 0.84 55-7. 10ab3b/9 (1302-3) London 1.12, 1.09, 0.92 58. 10ab3b(late) London 1.04 59-60. 10ab5(late) (1303-5) Canterbury 1.08, 0.99 61. 10cf1 (1305-6) London 0.91 62-4. 10cf2a (1306-mid 1307) London 1.12, 1.11, 1.11 65. uncertain 0.82 66-9. 10cf2b London 1.21, 1.09, 1.08, 0.87 70-73. Canterbury 1.1, 1.09, 1.02, 0.80 74. Durham 1.02 75-7. 10cf3b1 (mid 1307-9) London 1.13, 1.07, 1.05 78. Canterbury 1.07 79-80. 10cfb2 London 1.09, 1.01 81-4. 10cf5 London 1.07, 1.03, 0.94, 0.88 85-6. Canterbury 1.03, 1.02 Class 11 (c. late 1310 to c. 1314) 87. 11a London 1.1 88. 11b London 0.92 89. Durham 1.08 Class 13 (c. 1315 to c. 1317) 90-2. 13 London 1.1, 1.09, 0.85 93. Canterbury 1.03 Class 14 (c. 1317 to 1320) 94. 14 Bury St Edmunds 0.84 95. Durham 1.03 Class 15 (1320 to c.1333) 96. 15a Canterbury 0.98 97. 15c London 0.96 Uncertain 98-9. Uncertain London 0.98, 0.76 100-2. Uncertain Uncertain 0.978, 0.81, 0.43 103. ½d Uncertain London 0.43 Edward I-III Berwick coinage (c.1296-1344) 104. Penny Class 3? (c.1298) Berwick 0.93 Edward I Irish Coinage Group 1 (c. 1279-84) 105. Penny 1b Dublin 1.02 106. 1c Dublin 1.06 107. Group uncertain Dublin 1.1 108 ½d group uncertain Waterford 0.47 Edward III (1327-77) Second Coinage (1335-43) 109-11. ½d London 0.56, 0.54, 0.51 Third Coinage (1344-51) 112. Penny 1/I London 1.0 113. 2/1 London 1.2 114. 3/III London 0.84 115-17. 4/1 London 0.89, 0.84, 0.74 118. 4 Canterbury 1.03 119. uncertain uncertain 0.85 120. ½d London 0.45 Fourth Coinage (1351-77) Pre-Treaty Period (1351-61) Series A (1351) 121. Penny London 1.07 Series C (1351-2) 122-3. Groat London 4.33, 4.28 124-30. Half-groat London 2.17, 2.1, 2.09, 2.07, 2.06, 2.03, 1.84 131- 7. Penny London 1.15, 1.01, 0.99, 0.99, 0.96, 0.91, 0.78 138-40. Durham 1.02, 1.01, 0.82 Series D (1352-3) 141-5. Half-groat London 2.32, 2.25, 2.24, 2.1, 1.96 146-7. Penny London 0.93, 0.91 148. York (royal) 0.68 149. Durham 0.99 D/E mule 150. Groat London 4.49 151. Half-groat London 2.28 Series A-D (details uncertain) 152. Penny uncertain mint 0.69 Series E (1354-5) 153. Groat London 4.06 154. Half-groat York 2.23 155. Penny London 1.02 156. Durham 0.88 Series C-E (details uncertain) 157-8. Penny Durham 1.09, 0.99 Series F (1356) 159-61. Penny London 1.08, 1.02, 0.94 Series G (1356-61) 162-3. Penny Ga London 1.08, 1.07 164-5. Durham 1.02, 0.84 166. Gb London 1.08 167-70. Gd York 1.11, 1.05, 1.03, 0.94 171. Gf York 0.93 172-5. Gg Durham 1.05, 1.02, 0.96, 0.84 176. Gh Durham 0.93 177. G London 0.92 178-82. G Durham 1.1, 1.06, 0.99, 0.76, 0.73 Treaty Transitional or Treaty (details uncertain) 183. Penny Durham 1.03 Series G-Treaty (details uncertain) 184. Penny Durham 0.91 Treaty Period (1361-9) Transitional Series (1361-3) 185. Penny York 1.09 Treaty Series (1363-9) 186. Penny London N1244, f 0.95 187-91. York N1268 1.11, 1.07, 1.05, 0.96, 0.93 192. York N1269 1.08 193. York N1271 1.03 194. Durham N1272/1 0.87 195-200. Durham N1272/2 1.13, 1.13, 1.09, 1.05, 1.03, 1.0 201. Penny London N? 1.07 EDWARDVS REX ANGLI, double annulet stops Post Treaty Series (1369-77) 202-3. Penny London N1291 1.01, 0.99 204-6. York N1293 1.09, 1.09, 1.05 207. York N1294 1.0 208-20. York N1295 1.14, 1.09, 1.09, 1.07, 1.05, 1.04, 1.03, 0.97, 0.94, 0.88, 0.88, 0.78, 0.78 221. (double saltires) 1.03 222-3. York details uncertain 1.03, 0.84 224-8. Durham N1297 1.09, 1.05, 1.04, 0.95, 0.88 Uncertain issue 229-38. Penny York 1.08, 0.99, 0.97, 0.95, 0.94, 0.91, 0.81*, 0.75, 0.72, 0.63 Richard II (1377-99) 239. Penny 1a London 1.11 240-6. 1a York 1.12, 1.08, 0.99, 0.97, 0.92, 0.89, 0.81 247-9. 1b York 1.12, 1.05, 1.01 250-3. 2a York 1.07, 1.05, 1.03, 0.96 254-6. 2b York 1.11, 0.97, 0.75 257-8 York details uncertain 1.02, 1.0 259-65 York local dies 1.17, 1.08, 1.05, 1.02, 0.9, 0.84, 0.73 Uncertain 266-7. Penny Edward III/Richard II London 0.9*, 0.82 268-76. York 1.08, 1.05, 1.01, 0.95, 0.91, 0.9, 0.89, 0.86*, 0.75 277-9. uncertain 1.02, 0.9, 0.59 280-5. Penny uncertain uncertain 1.02, 1.0, 0.8, 0.74, 0.42, 0.3 Alexander III, king of Scots (1249-86) Second Coinage (c. 1280-) 286. Penny 26pts 1.03 Sterling Imitations 287. Robert of Béthune, Count of Flanders (1305-22) Alost Mayhew 211 1.03 288. Gaucher de Chatillon, Count of Porcien (1313-22) Yves Mayhew 237 0.91` 289. Valéran II, Lord of Ligny (1304-54) Serain Mayhew 225 0.97 290. John the Blind, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxemburg (1309-46) Méraude Mayhew 277 (?) 0.62 291. William, Count of Namur (1337-91)) Méraude Mayhew 367 (?) 0.45 broken 292. English type VTE FOR Mayhew 381d 1.05 Counterfeits 293. Penny GAICHA[ ] SI[ ] 0.9 Dr B.J. Cook Curator of Medieval and Early Modern Coinage Department of Coins and Medals British Museum London 28 July 2009
Title: Treasure case 2008 T423, 293 Medieval silver coins from Piddletrenthide, Dorset
Credit: https://finds.org.uk/database/ajax/download/id/332365 Catalog: https://finds.org.uk/database/images/image/id/332365 Artefact: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/227212
Author: The British Museum, Caroline Barton, 2011-06-14 15:07:33
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