Small and unassuming deniers of Bretagne and the downfall of the Angevin Empire

This small entry is supposed to make the argument that sometimes even the most unassuming coins with the most inane and lowbrow designs can be linked to some very important historical events and, as far as medieval numismatics is concerned, knowing and understanding the historical context in which the coins were minted is paramount for appreciating and developing an interest in the coins themselves, quite the opposite of Greek or Roman numismatics.

In August 1186, Geoffrey Plantagenet (son of Henry II of England, brother of Richard Plantagenet and John Plantagenet) died from wounds received during a tournament and left the Duchy of Bretagne to his wife, Constance, who acted as regnant Duchess of Bretagne until her death in 1201.

At the time, Geoffrey, nominal vasal to the King of France from 1179 and to his father from 1183, was in Paris with Philip II Augustus to secure a military alliance against Henry, in a sort of continuation of Henry the Young King's revolt of 1183. What made Geoffrey turn on his father (again) was the fact that by 1185 Henry II and his oldest surviving son Richard had come to terms, which meant that he would not inherit his aging father's position upon his passing. According to Gesta Regis Henrici Secundi, during a tournament, Geoffrey fell from his horse and got caught up in a stampede of mounted knights who trampled him. His wounds were so severe that he died around August 19.


The commemorative plaque was dedicated to Geoffrey by Philip, who attended his funeral at the Notre Dame de Paris, and was said to have been very much aggrieved by his unfortunate passing. At his death, Geoffrey had not yet reached his 28th birthday.
The plaque reads: Godefridvs Dux Britanniae, Comes de Richmond, tertius Henrici II Anglorum Regis filius obiit a. D. MCLXXXVi


His wife Constance, ruling duchess of Bretagne after the death of Geoffrey, gave birth to his posthumous son, Arthur, on March 29th 1187. Despite her two subsequent marriages, Arthur Plantagenet was recognized as heir to the Duchy in 1188 by Henry II, in 1190 as both heir to Bretagne and the Angevin Empire by Richard Plantagenet, and reconfirmed in 1196 by his mother and Richard.

In 1199 after the death of Richard, Arthur's supporters claimed him as the sole heir to the Angevin Empire, as per Richard's nomination and reconfirmation, thus starting the conflict between his party and John Plantagenet, who had seized the throne of England. After a short conflict which ended in May 1200 with Philip Augustus recognizing John as rightful overlord of all of Plantagenet domains, Arthur and his mother Constance did homage to John for Bretagne.

In 1201 Constance died and Arthur remained sole ruler of Bretagne under John's overlordship according to the peace treaty of Goulet and the homage of 1200. By 1202 Philip II Augustus reneged on the treaty and entered an alliance with Arthur's party. Encouraged by the Capetian support, Arthur renewed his claims over the Angevin Empire and started his rebellion against his uncle, invading Poitou and Aquitaine.

Unfortunately for him, he was captured alongside his sister Eleanor in August 1202 and imprisoned by John in Rouen, where he was murdered in April 1203, which prompted Philip to declare all of John's claims as void.

Under the governorship of Guy de Thouars (1203-1206), Constance's third husband and a supporter of Capetian interests, the knights and barons of Bretagne fought alongside Philip, and Guy de Thouars was instrumental in the conquest of Normandy, John's main continental possession, in 1204.

The coinage during these very eventful 20 years between the death of Geoffrey and the Capetian conquest of Normandy and the fortification of Philip's interests in the ex-Angevin possessions together with the imposition of Capetian overlordship in Bretagne is very plain and unassuming.

The deniers of Bretagne were minted anonymously in a single type of fine billon, in the mint-cities of Nantes and Rennes. Most of those who have survived are heavily circulated, which might indicate (maybe one or a few) short periods of minting during the period, in-between periods of inactivity by the mints.


In Nantes:



Duchy of Bretagne, anonymous issue for Constance (1186-1201), Arthur Plantagenet (1201-1202) and Guy de Thouars as Governor (1203-1206),
AR18/19mm cca. 1g, denier of Nantes.
OBV: + DVX BRITANE; Cross ancree
REV: + NANTIS CIVI; Cross
REF: Boudeau #28, Poey d'Avant #277.


And in Rennes:



Duchy of Bretagne, anonymous issue for Constance (1186-1201), Arthur Plantagenet (1201-1202) and Guy de Thouars as Governor (1203-1206),
AR18/19mm cca. 1g, denier of Rennes.
OBV: + DVX BRITANE; Cross ancree
REV: + REDONIS CIVI; Cross
REF: Boudeau #29, Poey d'Avant #298.



As fitting with such coinage, there is however some controversy regarding the identification and dating of this type at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century. According to hoard discoveries and the analysis of French numismatists Yannick Jezequel and Yves Coativy, the type appears in hoards of 1213-1215 and up to 1245-1250, and could perhaps date later during the reign of Pierre Mauclerc de Dreux (1213-1237). It is also possible, as per Boudeau or d'Avant's earlier determination and the heavy wear on most of these, that they could have been in use long after Guy de Thouars's death in 1213, and on the strength of the fine alloy and rather stable weight, that it was appealing to hoard them many years after their minting and even as worn as they usually were.


In 1206, during an unrest in Poitou in which Aimeri VII de Thouars (Guy's brother) was involved, Guy de Thouars had a tentative of joining the rebellion against Philip, at which time Philip entered Bretagne to support the lords who were faithful to him. He ruled Bretagne as bailli until 1207, when Guy returned to favor and was reposed as the rightful duke.
During this short period of time (1206-1207), Philip minted coins himself at Rennes as King of France, of the similar (but irregular) "cross ancree/cross" type. These coins, very similar to the anonymous issues, seem to point at the fact that the early canonical identification by Poey d'Avant is still the most likely, although disputed.


The deniers minted at Rennes for Philip are very rare, while the anonymous issues for Geoffrey, Constance, Arthur and Guy are somewhat scarce.



PHILIP II AUGUSTUS as King of FRANCE and Bailli of BRETAGNE.
AR18mm 0.79g billon denier of Rennes.
OBV: PHILIPVS REX; Cross
REV: + DVX BRITANE; Cross ancree.
REF: Bigot 175 (pl.VIIII n° 14 = cet ex.)


Marked by significant upheaval and significant events, the beginning of the 13th century would see the rise of Capetian power in France in the detriment of the Plantagenets. The Duchy of Bretagne passed from Plantagenet rule to the House of Dreux with Pierre Mauclerc in 1213, after the death of Guy de Thouars.
Thus, the powerful empire Henry II had built and Richard tried to defend and expand began its downfall.


Bibliography and further reading:

Roger of Hoveden – Gesta Regis Henrici Secundi.
Gerard of Wales – Itinerarium Cambriae etc.
Yannick Jézéquel - Reflexions a propos du denier anonyme a la croix dans un polylobe, SBNH, 1999.
Yves Coativy - La monnaie des ducs de Bretagne de l'an mil a 1499.
Alexis Bigot - Monnaies du Royaume et Duché de Bretagne.

The coins presented come from Mail Bid Sale 35 of iNumis, the denier of Philip II Augustus as bailli is from the collection of Alexis Bigot, which he acquired in the Monnaies d'Antan 8 sale, lot 50.

 

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Great writeup & denars, Seth.

 

Great writeup and interesting coins.

I do have one coin of Phillip II Auguste.

1180-1223
(17.57 mm 0.79 g)
fine
Denier tournois n.d.
Grade:VF|Abbreviations
Catalog:C.165-166 Mar.130-131 Mar.130-131 L.193 Dy.176
TOURAINE - SAINT-MARTIN DE TOURS –
Obverse :+ PHILLIPVS RE Croix
Reverse :+ SCS MARTIN[VS], (A et N bouletés) Châtel tournois
Purchased from CGB.fr on Ma shops

 

The denier tournois became, quickly after the confiscation of Touranie in 1205, the regular coinage of the kingdom alongside the denier parisis.
Yours seems an early issue around 1207-1210/12.

 

Impressive research and coins.

 

I forgot to insert the map of the Angevin Empire in 1199 and now I cannot edit the post to add it, so here it is:

 

Superb presentation and awesome coins (your Philip II Augustus rocks )!
Congratulations and thanks!!
Scarce coins, my "Rennaise" denier it's not on a great condition but I love his history (maybe because I have 1/4 of "Bretonne" blood... ).

Ancient "Condate", Rennes (breton: Roazhon) was the capital of the Redones celtic tribe. In 52 BCE the Redones with their neighbors sent a contingent to attack Caesar during the siege to Vercingétorix at Alésia. In that passage also (B. G. vii. 75), the Redones are enumerated among the states bordering on the ocean, which in the celtic language were called the "Armoric States" (Armorica was the original name of modern Brittany et maybe ye've heard of Asterix... )

+ DVX BRITANE, "croix ancrée"
+ REDONIS CIVI, "croix"



Essai sur les monnaies du royaume et duché de Bretagne, Alexis Bigot.
"Yec’hed mat", seth77!

 

None of the coins are mine, but thank you!
Also for your addition. Yours looks also worn and might have been struck with worn dies.

What can this tell us? Perhaps that these were more abundant than thought?

 

"Quel dommage!"
...being anonymous emissions the newest dies maybe were withdrawn from circulation to avoid "misunderstandings" with the "rightful" regent...

 

The good alloy, the presumed long circulation (up to 1245-1250, that's a very long time), the propensity of the people to hoard them and the relation to the irregular issue of a similar type by Philip, all suggest that the early original identification is very likely.

The long usage of dies might suggest a later strike for those struck with worn dies? Perhaps assigning the coins like the one you posted to the period of Guy de Thouars?

 

Good point, maybe (during ten years many coins can be minted...)

 

By the way, CT´s, the book is available here:
https://archive.org/details/essaisurlesmonn00bigogoog