Top 8 Medieval coins of 2018

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Orfew, Dec 17, 2018.

  1. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    I have three different collecting areas: the 12 Caesars, the family of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Historical figures as dramatized by shakespeare. The last 2 categories involve medieval coins and I was able to add several to the Eleanor collection this past year.

    8. Gaucher de Châtillon

    This coin is interesting because it is an imitation and not because of Gaucher de Chatillon. A law was passed under Edward I which outlawed money from the continent because it was worth far less than the British coinage and the continental coinage was lowering the value of the British coinage. The British coins were struck of fine full weight silver while continental coins used baser metals. This coin is a continental imitation of a penny of Edward I. I wanted this coin because it marks an important event in the history of medieval coinage and I found this interesting.


    Gaucher Chatillon imitaton sterling.jpg

    Gaucher of Chatillon. Silver Sterling, 1313-1322
    (18mm, 1.13g).
    Obv: +GALCHS COMES PORC, Crowned bust of Edward facing.
    Rev: MON ETN OVA YVE, Long cross, three pellets in each divide.
    Mayhew 247. Fine, wavy flan.
    Bought from Holding History on EBay



    7. Friederich II also known as the 'stupor mundi' the (astonishment of the world) was another fascinating historical character. I really liked the look of the portrait on this pfennig. It does not fit in with any collecting theme except interesting historical figures.

    from wikipedia:

    "Frederick II (26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250; Sicilian: Fridiricu, Fidiricu, Italian: Federico, Latin: Federicus, German: Friedrich) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor from 1220 and King of Jerusalem from 1225. His mother Constance was Queen of Sicily and his father was Henry VI of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Frederick's reign saw the Holy Roman Empire achieve its greatest territorial extent.

    [​IMG]
    Dominions of Frederick II
    His political and cultural ambitions were enormous as he ruled a vast area beginning with Sicily and stretching through Italy all the way north to Germany. As the Crusades progressed, he acquired control of Jerusalem and styled himself its king. However, the Papacy became his enemy, and it eventually prevailed. His dynasty collapsed soon after his death. "

    Freiderich II holy roman emperor.jpg


    GERMANY. Nuremberg. Friedrich II (Holy Roman Emperor, 1220-1250). Pfennig.
    Obv: Crowned head facing; annulet to left right; all within border of lis.
    Rev: Figure standing facing, holding lis and banner.
    Erlanger 21.
    Condition: Very fine.
    Weight: 0.9 g.
    Diameter: 19 mm.

    Ex: Numismatik Naumann, Auction 50 Lot 798 05/02/2017

    Ex: Numismatik Naumann, Auction 67 Lot 874 0107/2018



    6. Henry VIII needs no introduction. He is the fat tyrant of medieval England as Nero was the fat tyrant of 1st century imperial Rome. Like him or not, Henry changed England forever by splitting with the Catholic church and establishing the church of England. Famous for his temper and for multiple wives he also made a martyr of Sir Thomas Moore. If you have not read the play "A Man for All Seasons", I highly recommend it. There was also a movie made several decades ago. The title is ambiguous deliberately. It has 2 meanings. First it means that a man is stable no matter the season. Secondly, it can also mean that a man changes from season to season. This ambiguity depicts the situation Moore found himself in.

    England. House of Tudor. Henry VIII (1509-1547). Second Coinage, 1526-1544. Groat, mm rose. Laker bust D, rev. Shield over cross fourchee. S.2337E. PCGS Genuine, Cleaned - XF Detail. Spink USA, The Numismatic Collectors' Series Sale
    Sale Date: 04/17/2018

    henry viii.jpg
    5. William X was the father of Eleanor of Aquitaine. That made this coin a target for me. However, it is not just about the historical connection. I really liked the way this coin looked. the legends are readable, the devices are clear, the toning is lovely, and the strike is exceptional.

    FRANCE. PROVINCIAL. Aquitaine. Guillaume X. 1127-1137. AR denier. 1.05 gm. 20 mm. Bordeaux mint. Four central crosslets; +GVILILMO around ("G" is made up of two distinct punches) / Short cross with flared ends; +BVRDEGVLA around. Poey D'Avant 2733. Roberts 4301. Good Very Fine.The Douglas Bayern Collection. William X, the father of Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry II of England.Davissons Printed Auction 37

    Guillaume X .jpg

    4. Henry II was a must have for me as he was the husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor was a formidable, powerful woman and by many accounts the relationship between her and Henry was tumultuous to say the least. Henry had her locked up because she supported a revolt against him led by his own sons. After Henry's death, Eleanor actually ruled England while Richard was on Crusade.

    I looked at the short cross pennies for Henry II but I decided to go for a Tealby penny because I find them more interesting. Unfortunately, they were mostly crudely struck. The portrait and devices are quite clear on this coin, but the legends are missing. One must choose what parts they think are most important and be satisfied with an imperfect coin.

    henry II tealby.jpg


    Henry II. 1154-1189. AR Tealby penny. 1.43 gm. 21 mm.
    Facing bust with scepter, curl on right
    Large cross potent with a small cross potent in each angle; WIL….
    S. 1339. N. 956.
    Very Fine; central parts clear as struck with a rusty die; no legends visible; good metal.
    The Douglas Bayern Collection. Ex: Davissons Printed Auction 37 Lot 135.


    3. William I is a famous historical figure and coins of his are sought after. At least partially responsible for changing the course of British history, the Norman invasion was also a catalyst for linguistic change. After the invasion some changes crept into the English language. Now for the most part the French aristocracy spoke French and the peasantry spoke a form of English, but within a mere 300 years the English language has changed from Anglo-Saxon to middle English. While middle English still showed its Germanic roots, the French influence was noticeable at the time of Chaucer.

    I am very interested in the linguistic history of this time period. I am particularly interested in the sound changes evident from the transition between Old and Middle English. This coin was then an obvious choice for me. Now this coin has a significant problem-it has a hole. However, with or without the hole the coin's historical importance is unchanged. The hole also meant that I was able to buy this coin for about 180.00, a significant discount when compared to the auction prices for a non-holed coin. Though this coin does not fit into the 2 collecting areas I described above, the history this coin represents means it was a must have.

    By the way, have a look at the attribution. The obverse names William as PILLEM. The reason is the character that looks like a 'P' is actually a Wynn and is analogous to our 'W'.

    william penny small.jpg

    William I silver penny, PAX Issue,
    Spink 1257,
    obverse reads:- +PILLELM REX [`MR` ligulate],
    reverse reads:- +EDRIC ON LUND
    Ex: Ancient Numismatic Enterprises
    Purchased at the RCNA August 8, 2018 Toronto


    2. I was looking for coins of the family of Eleanor of Aquitaine when I came across this nice rarity. While these are available they do not appear all that often so I grabbed it when I saw it. Geoffrey was the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. This coin names Geoffrey as Duke of Brittany. I very happily added this one to my collection.


    Geoffery P.jpg

    Geoffery Plantagenet
    Duke of Brittany 1181-1186
    Type denier
    Date:n.d.
    Mint name / Town :Nantes
    Metal :silver
    Diameter :19 mm
    Orientation dies :9 h.
    Weight :0,82 g.
    Obv: + GAVFRIDVS
    Floral cross bearing a ring and heart
    Rev: DUX BRITANI
    Fleur de lis cantoned with 4 rings
    Bd.25 (3F), Poey D’avant 271, J 33
    Ex: CGB.fr July 31, 2018



    1. I was very happy to land this one. It did not come cheap but I really liked the provenance of this coin. I especially liked the fact that it is the reference coin for SCBI 56, a major reference work featuring the collection of the late Professor J.P.Mass. Mass was the author of SCBI 56.

    The most important reason I bought the coin is that portrait of John. It has lots of character.
    The legends are mostly clear and readable as well and this makes this coin attractive to me.

    Of course another reason I wanted the coin was that John was the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. This coin is part of the family collection.

    John penny.png

    John (1199-1216), Penny, class VIa2, London,
    Walter, walter · on · lvn, 1.40g/4h
    (SCBI Mass 1755, this coin; N 974/2; S 1353).
    Good fine, dark-toned
    J.D. Brand Collection [from Baldwin October 1960];
    J.P. Mass Collection, Part I, DNW Auction 61, 17 March 2004, lot 355 (part);
    J. Sazama Collection, Part I, DNW Auction 93, 26 September 2011, lot 1140 (part)
    The collection of the late ray Inder
    DNW Auction Coins tokens and Historical Medals September 18-20 2018, lot 192.
     
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  3. TheRed

    TheRed Well-Known Member

    Congrats on the coins @Orfew you picked up some really nice medievals this year. I would love to have all of them in my collection. Your Friedrich II pfennig and Henry II Tealby penny are some of my favorites, but that William X denier is just gorgeous. You got an amazing coin with that one.
     
    Orfew likes this.
  4. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Congratulations on the magnificent year! The Henry VIII is stunning! Of course, they all are...that John though:woot:
    Funny enough, probably thanks to CT stalking you for now obvious reasons, I've been on a real Plantagenet (also Tudor) kick lately. But I've lost out royally (puntended) at the last several auctions. Any particular books on these coins that you'd recommend?
     
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  5. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Thanks @Ryro for the kind comments.

    There are several books I would recommend on medieval coins.

    Anglo-Gallic Coinage by Withers and Ford

    The Silver Coins of Medieval France by Roberts


    The following books by Christopher Wren:

    Short Cross Coinage 1180-1247

    Voided Long Cross Coinage 1247-1279

    English Long Cross Pennies 1279-1489



    SCBI 56 by J.P. Mass



    The most useful one I own is "Coins of England". This is released every year.

    I hope you find the books you want.
     
    TheRed and Ryro like this.
  6. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Nice ones @Orfew. I see you have another niche with excellent examples.
     
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  7. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    Lovely coins - I am particularly envious of the Geoffrey Plantagenet coin. Very nice pick up! The Tealby penny is quite nice too
     
  8. alde

    alde Always Learning

    Very nice addition's to your collection.
     
  9. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  10. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Fantastic medieval year!! My favourites are the Henry VIII, William X, and William I. Am I mistaken or are medievals picking up some steam on CT lately? I think I will post a top 10 Byzantine & Medieval list before the year is out.
     
    Orfew likes this.
  11. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Should you put my name in your will, I would humbly accept the Henry VIII and Guillaume X, please ;)

    Q
     
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  12. TheRed

    TheRed Well-Known Member

    Glad to hear you're catching the medieval bug @Ryro they are a great area to collect. All the books @Orfew listed are good books to have. If you are just getting into medieval English coins I would highly recommend "Coins of England and the United Kingdom." As orfew said, it is publish annualy by Spink, and is the standard reference book for English coins. You can pick up an old copy, from say 2013, four around $10 and use it to get an idea of what kind of English coins are out there.
     
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  13. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Awesome! Thanks for the recommend you 2. I was able to get the 2009 edition for under 9 bucks w/shipping on Amazon! Hopefully not too much has changed in that time:confused:
     
  14. Deacon Ray

    Deacon Ray Artist & Historian Supporter

    Fascinating medieval collection!
     
    Orfew likes this.
  15. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    I REALLY like that Henry VIII!

    I like your German pfennig also! @Orfew It looks like it is one of those coins where they struck the "reverse" then flipped it and stuck the "obverse" on another single sided die...I can't remember the name of the technique. Have you ever found out why they were struck that way??
     
    Orfew likes this.
  16. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Hi Chris,
    I have no idea why they were struck this way, but like you, I find it interesting. Overall I find the coins of the Holy Roman Emperors to be fascinating and I was glad to pick up this one.
     
  17. panzerman

    panzerman Well-Known Member

    Beautifull coins Orfew:happy: I really love Medieval coinage, except I collect everything. However, if I had to pick my fav. region, definately Low Countries/ Brabant/ Flanders/ Tournai/ Arras/ Liege...
     
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