2012 April finds page

1215 Henry III hammered silver farthing

Northampton mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided farthing

Rev / RIC/ - Moneyer Richard of Canterbury mint

1351-61 Edward III hammered silver penny - Pre Treaty London - extra annulets in all 4 quadrants on rev

Obv EDWARDVS REX ANGLI

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

1377-99 Richard II hammered silver half penny - Type 2

Obv +RICHARD x REX ANGLI

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

1344 Edward hammered silver cut halfpenny - Florin type

Obv ***DWAR R

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

1279 Edward 1st hammered silver farthing - Type 28 inner circle both sides

Obv + E*WA*VS REX A

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross half penny

Obv HENRICVS REX

Rev WILLEM - Moneyer Willem of Canterbury mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross qtr penny

Obv HENRICVS REX

Moneyer Nicole of Canterbury mint

3rd C Roman silver coin - straight into cooker (John) - sent for provisional ID

19.72mm, 2.74g

There's not quite enough detail in the right places (close, though) to tell you with certainty any more than you already know - it's a billon antoninianus, and as such either has to date to the later 3rd century if official, or the mid-3rd century if a contemporary copy.

If that obverse legend turns out to read as it appears it might at this point, it would be a Gallic Empire piece from Victorinus - but on the basis of this photo, that's half guesswork at best.

Send me another photo when the obverse legend begins to become more defined and I'll tell you a lot more about it.

Mark 

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

70 BC Morini 'boat tree' Celtic qtr stater

1.42g,10.14mm

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny

Obv EDWAR R ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR Canterbury mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross penny - Class 5c

Obv HENRICVS REX

Rev WIL ** ONl/VND - Moneyer Willem of London mint

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 1

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR Canterbury mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross penny - Class 5

Obv HENRICVS REX III

Rev RIC/HARD/ONC/ANT- Moneyer Richard of Canterbury mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross half penny - Class 5

Obv HENRICVS REX III

Rev **ONL/VND/** - London mint

1279 Edward 1st hammered silver farthing - Type 28 inner circle both sides

Obv + EDWA*VS REX A

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

1340 Edward III hammered silver half groat

Obv *** REX ANGL **

Rev CIVI/TAS/EBO/RACI - York mint

1279 Edward 1st hammered silver halfpenny - Type 13

Obv ***VS REX A

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

Georgian spur and ends

Incredibly rare 6thC Saxon cruciform brooch - virtually non existent on the continent

4thC Roman bronze coin sent off for ID

Although I can't tell you who's on the obverse - these were struck for Constantine I, Licinius I, Crispus & Licinius II at the very least and perhaps a couple other folks whom I'm not remembering - this is what's referred to as a "VLPP" - an abbreviation of the long reverse legend - "VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP" and has 2 Victories facing each other resting a shield inscribed VOT/PR on a short cippus (column, or plinth) or altar.
This is one of the ones with a helmeted portrait.  They're known with a variety of different bust types.  This is one of the first of the very commmon Constantinian-era types, dating to the early 320's, mostly.  It also was one of the most widely unofficially copied types in the whole Roman series - particularly in the Balkans, where it was approximately equivalent to the so-called "barbarous radiates" in your neck of the woods.

This is a helmeted-bust Constantine I from Ticinum, known official - http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album164/02_Constantine_I_VLLP_TIC

This is one of the cruder contemporary copies - it's obvious that there was no attempt being made to fool anyone - this was a de-facto "official" coin in its place of origin, not a "counterfeit" of any sort, made to deceive.
http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album164/VLPPcopy - you can see that the legend has been reduced to a decorative border, etc, although it does follow the general pattern quite closely otherwise.

If you can clean this up a bit, I should be able to tell if A- it's official, and B- who's on the obverse.

Mark

49 BC 'cooked' Roman silver sent for ID

Issued by JC himself, the elephant trampling (what?) a dragon-like serpent, or as some theorize a Carnyx (sp?), the serpent-like Celtic war-trumpet, or perhaps a battle-standard which flapped like a wind-sock from a staff-mounted serpent-like head, is more obvious as symbolism than the identity of the trampled item. The reverse shows a simpulum, sprinkler, axe and apex - the symbols of the Pontificate - as Caesar had been (or was still?) Pontifex Maximus.

These date to 49 BC and were minted in a northern Italian mint in the time prior to Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon.  They are one of the more accessible coins of Julius Caesar, although not a portrait, obviously.

Mark

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 1 Broken

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

Victorian Silver name tag - A.Y Patehcus - 2 Brecon House London N19

The Victorian block of flats still exists on Google

40th Regiment of foot button

O/R's - 1855-1881

4thC Roman silver coin - needs cooking to ID (John L)

I'll have a quick look through volume V of RSC a bit later, since silver of this era is so much more scarce then the silver of other eras that I am quite a bit less familiar with it all.  However, my first question would be - are you sure this is silver?

There does appear to be enough detail for a relatively definitive ID.  I'm not recognizing the name-fragment at 2:00-3:00 obverse, but that will be easily enough supplied.

You seem to be working a far richer area these days - in both the sense of numbers of items found and of the relative wealth of the Roman-era residents.

Mark

Roman sestertius sent for ID

This one gave us "a lucky break" - literally - the break in the legend was a major bit of luck here. The only really clear letters in the obverse legend are "...CAE - SAR..." to the left and right at the top of the obverse.  This is a really unusual circumstance - mostly if a sestertius' legends were broken at all at the top (rather than running continuously around the upper circumference) they generally broke between words - "HADRIANVS - AVGVSTVS" for example.  That the word CAESAR was so prominently in the middle of the legend (and therefore the title) and also broken in an unusual, even awkward, place, meant that I could look for this among the coins of a couple of emperors during the time they were "heir apparent" Caesars under their usually adoptive paternal emperors.

I believe I have an exact match here - although the crucial legend-break is a bit less visible on mine, but take my word that it breaks "...CAE - SAR..." at the top - http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album93/17_A_Pius_Sest_Pietas 

Antoninus Pius during his very brief period of being Hadrian's Caear and heir - in the short window of time, a few months in 138 AD. (February 25 - July 10)  between the death of Aelius, Hadrian's intended successor, and Hadrian's own demise.

The full obverse legend would be then: IMP T AELIVS CAE - SAR ANTONINVS - the apparent shape of the head had me thinking Antoninus Pius from the beginning, so I wasn't all that surprised to find this legend break on a relatively common (for a brief issue) sestertius of his as Caesar.  It also seems that the "voids" - the areas retaining some smooth brown patina on the reverse, correspond to the portions of the reverse field - complete to the E of PIE -TAS across the field falling directly above the small altar - protected by the relief of the figure of Pietas and the altar to her left.

1194 -1214 John hammered silver short cross penny - Class 4

Obv HENRICVS REX

Rev TVRKILL.ON.EV - Moneyer Tvrkill of York mint

1427-1430 Henry VI hammered silver penny - Rosette Mascle issue

Satires by hair, quadrefoil with pellet in reverse cross

Obv HENRICVS REX ANGLIE

Rev CIVI/TAS/EBO/RACI - York mint

1351 Edward III hammered silver penny - Pre treaty Series A

Extra annulet in one qtr on reverse

Obv EDWARDVS REX ANGLIE

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON London mint

1310-14 Edward 1st hammered silver half penny

Obv EDWARDVS REX ANGL

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON London mint

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

1641-3 Charles 1st hammered silver penny - mintmark dot

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

0.85g, 11.24mm

Many thanks for this Series BIB sceat, which I have recorded as EMC 2012.0138.

Best wishes,

Martin

Shewolf & Twins reverse which is typically found on the VRBS ROMA, City of Rome commemorative, reduced-module folles introduced around 330 AD

Sent to Mark Lehman for confirmed ID

So far as I can see in this state, it appears to be a completely normal VRBS ROMA city commemorative.  It's a little unusual in not being as badly corroded as many British surface finds.  At the size/weight, it probably dates to the 2nd period of production 335-337 (as late as 340 in some places).  So far as I am able to speculate on the mint mark - based on what is currently visible plus the historical distribution of mints for the pieces found in Britain - it appears to be a Trier mint mark  I think it's TR•P or TR☼P (with a dot or star in the 3rd position - the "P" in final position is the officina designation)

Mark

2.15g, 17.19mm

1195 - 1230 William 1 The Lion of Scotland hammered silver penny - Short cross and stars issue

Obv WILEMUS REX

Rev ADAM ON RORE - Moneyer Adam of Roxburgh mint

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 3

Obv EDWAR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 3

Obv EDWAR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

Taco'd Continental medieval hammered silver penny - Cross potent - needs straightening to ID

Obv King sitting on throne

*** RIC +

Rev SAN/OST/XEN/NTA

18.92mm,1.22g

1215 Henry III hammered silver short cross half penny - Class 6

Obv HENRICVS REX

Rev ** ANT + RO - Monyer Robert or Roger of Canterbury mint

88th Regiment of foot button

(Connaught Rangers)

O/R's (Brass) - 1830-1871

Taco'd Medieval hammered silver short cross coin - need straightening to ID type

Obv HENRICVS REX

Roman silver coin - cooking to clean up (Jim)

32 BC Mark Antony, Legionary silver Denarius. ANT.AVG.III.VIR.R.P.C Galley, Legionary Eagle between two standards

1422-61 Henry VI hammered silver half penny, satire issue- Satire on breast - Pellets by crown

Obv +hENRIC REX ANGIL

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

1300-10 Edward 1st hammered silver farthing, Class 10, bust to edge of flan

Obv ER ANGLIE

Rev LONDONIENSIS - London mint

Taco'd Medieval hammered silver penny

CIVI/TAS/EBO/RACI - York mint

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 1

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

Irish 1216 -1272 Henry III hammered silver farthing

Obv HENRICVS REX III

Rev **DAV/ - Moneyer Davi of Dublin mint

Fascinating find - 1920's looking domed highly decorated silver jewelry item with 4 mounting points marked 84.1 % silver, maker MO

Must be continental as not Sterling

Stunning zoomorphic c10thC Saxon strap end - 2 rivet fixings still in place

50.35mm L x 9.61mm W ,13.14g

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 3

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR - Canterbury mint

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny - Cross 3

Obv EDWAR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

2ndC Roman silver coin - into the 'cooker' to clean up - sent to Mark Lehman for provisional ID (Min)

At this point, it appears to be a Flavian - Vespasian (69-79), Titus (79-81), Domitian, (81-96) -  but I can't say much more at the moment.

Mark

I'm pretty sure I told you this was one of the Flavians - Vespasian or Titus most likely - and although I am still unsure which it is (I suspect it's Vespasian who has a similar issue from Lugdunum, but with a different obverse legend) the reverse is now clearly visible as a type copied from Augustus and Agrippa - Neptune standing left, foot on rock, holding dolphin and trident..

Unfortunately I don't have a really clear example of this reverse type on an official Roman issue coin, but I have this fairly close copy on a Limes Falsa As of Agrippa - http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album90/mark_agrippa_as_1

Okay, after doing some more research, I can  now be certain that it's Vespasian - the obverse legend should be IMP CAES VEST AVG P M COS IIII - which would match-up the "...AVG P M..." which we can see on the obverse in the correct place in the legend.  The reverse legend should be NEP RED, and although I can't be 100% certain from what's left on the coin, given the lamination issues, it appears that this reverse legend would work as well.
This would be from either the mit at Rome or Antioch (more likely Rome) 72/3 AD, and I would need to change the reverse description to "holding acrostolium" rather than dolphin, but the reverese devices came out really clearly on this, luckily.

Mark

PS - here's a pretty reasonably clear example of the same type in use by Hadrian 50 years or so later - http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album92/ML03_Hadrian_Neptune_sest

1790 George III gilded full guinea gaming token

'For the good old times'

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided farthing

Obv HENRICVS REX

Obv ** VID/*** Moneyer David of London mint

14.65mm,1.39g

Georgian inscribed chest hinged clasp

'T U Ge/c/D'

1344 Edward III hammered silver florin penny

Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR - Canterbury mint

Capt / Commander - 1774-1787

Medieval badges Ref Mitchiner p244 939 - 941

'A badge for a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in bronze and dating somewhere around C13/14th possibly very slightly later . This is a very scarce item and it relates to The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem being a Catholic chivalric order of Knighthood that traces its roots to Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade. According to reliable sources in the Vatican and Jerusalem, it began in historical reality as a mixed clerical and lay confraternity (association) of pilgrims which gradually grew around the most central of the Christian holy places in the Middle East, the Holy Sepulchre or the tomb of Jesus Christ.This would have been a pin for a member of the order , there is a mark on the reverse where the original pin would have been fixed '

Medieval mount with 2 integral lugs

Period from: MEDIEVAL Date from: Circa AD 1300
Date to: Circa AD 1500

1327 Edward III hammered silver half groat

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR - Canterbury mint

Debased silver Roman coin sent for ID - soaking to clean it more as 'cooking' could damage it

20.75mm

This piece presents a couple of problems.  Generally speaking, it appears to be either an official or reasonably well-done unofficial piece for Tetricus I, whose portrait appears to be on the obverse - generally speaking, this is none too unusual, as you're probably aware.  Unofficial (and official) Tetricus radiates are found all over Britain all the time.

1st problem - the legend, although at first glance it seems to be "literate", it doesn't line up with any known legend on a radiate of this period - and I'm talking about everyone including the issuers of post-reform radiates after Diocletian's reforms - ie: the previous 15 and the next 30 years, at minimum, from Tetricus' time.  OK, there were plenty of "imaginative" legends placed on unoffically produced coins, up to and including the lettering becoming a merely decorative border of "I's" and "O's", etc.  But this is tantalizingly close to looking like it should be a legit legend.

2nd problem - the reverse - and as you can tell, there isn't a lot to go on - seems to be of the CONSECRATIO / lighted altar enclosure with panelled front.  These are exceedingly common for Claudius II, Gothicus, but the legend on the obverse is nothing like any legend ever seen on a Gothicus posthumous piece.  There were no posthumous issues for Tetricus - he was rewarded for giving up the Gallic Empire to Aurelian without a fight, retired into private life and died in bed in a villa in Italy an unknown length of time afterwards as he disappears from the historical record at that point.

I'm stuck with saying that it's a contemporary copy of the so-called "barbarous radiate" type, emulating a prototype - a very common posthumous issue of Claudius II (with a portrait that favors Tetricus I) - except that instead of copying the simple DIVO CLAVDIO or any of Tetricus' legends, the diecutter went wild and made up a 25 or 30 character obverse legend - typically unofficial diecutters shortened and simplified legends - they didn't make them longer and more involved, particularly when making them look as though they were a literate and legitimate legend.

For those reasons, this is one of the most unusual radiates of this period I have ever seen.

Mark

10 to 40 AD Northern Celtic gold 1/4 stater of Cunobelin Inscribed CAM CV AGR Ref Hobbs 1854

12.3mm.1.26g

50 BC Celtic gold full stater - Clacton type

6.43g, 20.30mm Ref Hobbs 142

Size comparison between full and 1/4 staters

Three different gold colours to form single ring - London hallmark 9 carat 1973 - 6.87g

Maker JS & Co

Facinating find - 17thC silver mount with Lion etched seated with a curly tail and inscription on edge - 17thC text illegible

Reported as treasure to museum

As dug

'Cooked' up really well

1351-61 Edward III hammered silver penny - Pre Treaty Durham

Annulet in one quadrant on reverse

Obv EDWARDVS REX

1294-99 Edward 1st hammered silver farthing - Type 20a

Rev ER ANGLL AN

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

0.30g, 11.41mm

Cooked debased Roman silver coin - sent off for final ID now I have cleaned up obverse

Now that you have it more cooked, I can see what the major problem was with my original guesswork.  This isn't Tetricus or any of the Gallic emperors.  Although I still can't read the legend with any certainty, on the strength of the portrait, I'm 90+% certain this is Philip I "the Arab", 244-249 AD.  It also seems to be a higher-silver alloy than would be found in a Gallic Empire piece 20 years later. This alloy would be consistent with the time-frame for Philip.
Here's a very similar-style Philip portrait on a billon antoninianus - I don't have anything this degraded photographed at the present time, but I think you'll be able to see why I believe this is Philip.

http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album102/ML_24_Philip_I_Nobilitas_ant

Although any detail I thought I saw on the reverse seems to be gone now, it may be that the reverse is something like this SAECVLARES piece issued for the Millennium of Rome in 248 with a cippus - or low column or plinth design.

http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album102/ML_25_Philip_I_Saeculares_ant

Mark

Stunning Roman mount with face decoration

1413 -22 Henry V hammered silver penny - mullet, broken annulet by crown - Inital mark Cross Pattee

Quadrefoil at centre of reverse cross

Rev CIVI/TAS/EBO/RACI - York mint

Scottish 1357-1367 David II hammered silver penny - 2nd coinage - Stars with 5 points with pellet at centre

Obv DAVID REX SCOTTORUM - king of Scots

Rev VILLA EDINBURGH - Town of Edinburgh

1794 CONDOR CONDER TOKEN NORFOLK NORWICH HALF PENNY A9 - 11

Obverse: View of Castle and Bridge with Shrubs; around 'Norwich Castle'; Reverse: A Fleece Lamb; around 'Good Times Will Come' MDCCXIV (barely visible with a loop) Edge: Richard Bacon Cockey Lane Chocolate brown

1216-1272 Irish Henry III voided long cross ¼ penny – Rev DAV – Moneyer DAVI of Dublin mint

1199 John hammered silver short cross half penny - Class 5

Obv HENRICVS REX

Rev +WILLELM - Moneyer Willelm of London mint

Very unusual medieval lead token - longcross with 4 pellets in one quadrant, single pellet in opposing quadrant and letters in two other quadrants - W

Never seen a medieval lead token with issuers initials

1851 -1863 Gothic numeral Victorian milled silver florin (24 pence)

18thC apothecary weight

1793 Half Penny North Wales

OBVERSE: Druid's Head, 29 acorns in wreath.
REVERSE: A cypher R N G, 1793. NORTH WALES HALFPENNY.
EDGE: CURRENT EVERYWHERE

1464 Edward IV hammered silver half groat - light issue Canterbury 'Royal'- Rose mintmark

Obv EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL FRA

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR - CANTERBURY MINT

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross half penny – Rev OLE/ONC – Moneyer Nicole of Canterbury mint

1560-1 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver shilling - Martlett mint mark

1344 -1351 Edward III Third 'Florin'coinage hammered silver penny
Obv + EDWAR ANGLE DNS HYB Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON London mint

Amazing fixing job on this flattened taco'd penny

June 1361-1369 Edward III hammered silver half groat - Treaty B - double annulet and satire stops, Treaty X Obv EDWARDVS REX ANGL DNS HYB Rev

-

This badly Taco'd and cracked coin broke during straightening but can be resoldered and joined.

1247 Henry III hammered silver long cross penny - Class 5

Obv HENRIVC REX III

Rev hEN/RIO/LVN/VND- Monyer Hneri fo London

C 1450 medieval prick Spur. Cast spur with a large quadrilateral goad in a short neck

Gilding appears on the display surfaces and the goad, and an attractive patina extends overall. The form and condition is consistent with a late medieval or post-medieval date; this spur was probably worn in a civilian context given the short neck of the goad.

1377-99 Richard II hammered silver half penny - Type 2

Obv +RICHARD x REX ANGLI

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver voided longcross cut 1/4 penny

Moneyer Henri

1422 1427 Henry VI hammered silver penny - annulets on two qtrs on obv

Rev CIVI/TAS/L *** London mint

THE 33RD REGIMENT OF FOOT. / After 1881 :- 1st Battalion The Duke Of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment

O/R's & Officer - 1782-1840

1280-82 Edward 1st hammered silver farthing - Type 13

Rev ER ANGLIE

Obv LONONIENSIS - London mint

1247 Henry III hammered silver long cross penny - Class IIIb

Rev NIC/OLE/ONC/ANT Moneyer Nicole of Canterbury mint

1189-1199 Richard 1st hammered silver short cross penny - Class 1 to 4

Rev VLARD ON CANT - Moneyer Vlard of Canterbury mint

1stC BC Cunobelin Celtic silver coin - 'cooking' it to remove crust

C4 (M215, V2045, BMC 1863-65) Obv. head 1., spiky hair floating behind head. Variety with pointed ?bearded chin has CAM in front, VL behind head; others with less pointed chin have CAMV or CAMVL in front. Pellet border. Rev. seated Victory r., holding bowl in outstretched r. hand. Pellet in ring in front. CVNO below exergual line. Pellet border.

See more finds on the 2012 Feb Finds Page 1

See more finds on the 2012 Feb Finds Page 2

See more finds on the 2012 March Finds Page