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Description: | I have examined a group of coins reported found at Creslow, Buckinghamshire, on 24 August 2003. Fifty-six coins were initially submitted, and a further three coins were subsequently sent to me by one of the three named finders, giving a total of 59.Fifty-eight of the coins submitted form a coherent group, and can be said to represent material from English currency of the early to mid fourteenth century. The remaining coin (one of the three submitted separately) is a silver penny of Henry VI, issued in the 1450s, a century or so after the latest coin in the rest of the group. It is clear that this is a separate item, that would not have either circulated with, or been deposited with, the rest of the coins viewed, and it is therefore not treated as part of the main group in the rest of this report. All but two of these others are silver coins of the English kings Edward I (1272-1307), Edward II (1307-27) and Edward III (1327-77). They consist of two denominations, 29 pennies and 27 halfpennies. Accompanying these was a silver penny of Alexander III of Scots, which circulated freely alongside contemporary English coins, and a counterfeit penny of 'Edwardian' style. The official English and Scottish coins were all of fine metal, for the most part of the sterling standard, i.e. 92.5% fine silver. The halfpennies of Edward III's Second Coinage were struck at a slightly debased level of 83.3% fine silver.It is clear that the 58 coins form a group deposited on a single occasion, at about the time of issue of the latest coins present: 1352-3. The types of coins in the group would all have been in currency together in the mid-14th century, and in the condition that can be seen on these specimens: the older issues of Edward I and II being significantly worn, and the newer ones of Edward III much less so. The coins also represent selected material, since they do not include the smallest denomination, the farthing, nor do they include the new high-value silver groats and half-groats added to the currency in 1351. (It might be worth noting that separate storage of farthings from other lesser silver coins is attested for the period. The excavation of the body of a victim of the Black Death in London produced two batches of coins with the bones: pennies and halfpennies by an armpit, and farthings by the waist, apparently demonstrating an individual carrying two purses.) The total value of the 58 coins (allowing the counterfeit and the Scottish coin to pass as full pennies) was 3s.8½d. which was a sum equivalent to something like £50-£100 in modern terms.The Creslow find consists of good silver coins. Excluding the penny of Henry VI as a separate, individually-lost item, it appears to represent a single deposit of material made in the 1350s. The coins could well represent the contents of a purse perhaps containing a reserve of useable money. In my opinion, the find would fulfil the criteria of Treasure as defined in the Act.CatalogueEDWARD I-IIPenceClass 3 (1280-1) 1 3b Canterbury Class 4 (1282-9) 2 4a Canterbury 3 4b Bury St Edmunds 4 4b Canterbury Class 9 (c.1299 to late 1300/early 1301) 5 9b1 London Class 10ab (early 1301- mid 1305) 6-7 10ab5 Canterbury Class 10cf (mid 1305-1310) 8 10cf2(a) Canterbury 9 10cf2(b) London 10 10cf3(ai) London 11 10cf3(ai) Durham 12 10cf3(bi) Canterbury 13 10cf5(a) Canterbury Class 11 (c. late 1310 to c.1314) 14 11a2 Durham Uncertain 15 11-15 Durham HalfpenceClass 3 16 3g/W.2 Bristol 17 3g/W.2 London Class 4 18 4c/W.3a London 19 Counterfeit penny, 'Edward I' SCOTLAND, ALEXANDER IIISecond Coinage (1280-1290s) 20 D EDWARD IIISecond ('Star-marked') Coinage (1335-1343)Halfpennies 21 W.1 London 22-26 W.5 London Third ('Florin') Coinage (1344-1351)Pence 27 1a London 28-29 2 London Halfpence 30-42 W7 London 43 W8 London 44-47 W12 London Fourth Coinage, pre-Treaty Period (1351-60)Pence 48 Series A (1351) Durham 49 Series C (1351-2) Durham 50-55 Series C (1351-2) London 56 Series D (1352-3) Durham 57-58 Series D (1352-3) London Henry VI 59 Cross Pellet issue (1454-60) London Dr B.J. CookCurator of Medieval and Early Modern CoinageDepartment of Coins and Medals, British Museum28 November 2003
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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