St Edmundsbury
Mint
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Bury St Edmunds struck silver pennies almost continuously from c.1046, four years into Edward the Confessor's reign (1042-1066), until c.1329, two years into Edward III's reign (1327-1377), missing out on Harold II, William II and Richard I's reigns only.
The objective of this website is to provide a current, up-to-date photographic catalogue of all known coin dies used at the mint of Bury St Edmunds. In addition the site will attempt to keep up with the current research on classification of coins from this 283-year period. Achieving this will enable students, collectors, detectorists and the like to have access to the latest information on coins produced at this mint.
In essence this will be, in part, an update of the catalogue section of the two publications by Dr. Robin Eaglen: The Abbey & Mint of Bury St. Edmunds to 1279, published in 2006, and The Abbey and Mint of Bury St. Edmunds from 1279, published in 2014.
Numismatics is constantly moving forward, and nowhere faster than in the Saxon, Norman and Medieval periods. New finds from metal-detectorists, together with the regular discovery of hoards, are introducing many hundreds, if not thousands, of coins into the arena each year; it is therefore unsurprising that coins of new types, new moneyers, new dies, and new die links regularly appear.
Research into this period is continually being revised with the latest information appearing in publications such as the British Numismatic Journal (B.N.J.) and Numismatic Chronicle (N.C.) and more recently in blogs on the B.N.J. website.
Each known die will be illustrated with the best picture available to me and these will be replaced when a better example becomes available. It is only too apparent that having a good picture of a coin is the next best thing to having it in your hand. So often we see really low quality pictures of coins making die identification rather challenging.
This site will also record die linking and will be regularly amended as and when new links are discovered. Die linking plays an important part in numismatic research and gives physical evidence of the order of progression of the coinage. When taken together with the different designs, names of the moneyers, and records that have survived, it enables a more accurate dating of the series.
Some idea of the number of specimens from each die that have survived or so far been discovered will also be on this site. This should give an indication of the rarity of each die and assist in calculating the output of the mint at a particular time in its history.
This site will be compiled in stages, meaning that not all content will be available from the outset. The intended progression will be the Short Cross series, Edward the Confessor, Long Cross, Tealby, The Norman series, then Edward I, II, III, and then sub headings on the mint, Abbey etc.
Feedback, and better pictures of coins, will be much appreciated, and will be incorporated into the site at the first opportunity.
D. Palmer
OPERATION OF THE SITE
The site pretty much operates as other websites. Just follow the box tabs for the various elements of the site. Currently the main difference will be the absence of a back button on the PDF sections although hopefully this will resolved at some point. This site will work best using a PC or laptop.
1. To go back a page you need to close the last tab opened, which is located at the very top of the screen; this has the same effect as a screen-located back button, or the one that is normally found in the left corner of the screen. In remembering to use this method then the site will operate as other sites.
2. To enlarge pictures hold down the control key (Ctrl) and scroll the mouse wheel. On a phone or similar device open your fingers while touching the screen.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Those mentioned below have given their permission for information from their publications, together with pictures of coins used on this site, and also includes those who have given both advice and support:
1. The U.K. Numismatic Trust for much valued support in creating this site.
2. Chris Elmy - for a major contribution in building this site and advice on the photographing of coins.
3. Dr. Robin Eaglen - for pictures of coins, and information from his following publications; The Abbey and Mint of Bury St, Edmunds to 1279; and The Abbey and Mint of Bury St. Edmunds from 1279.
4. British Numismatic Society - for information and pictures contained in the British Numismatic Journal (B.N.J.)
5. Royal Numismatic Society - for information and pictures contained in the Numismatic Chronicle (N.C.)
6. Dr. Martin Allen - for encouragement, support and assistance with the pictures of coins in the Fitzwilliam Museum.
7. Dr Richard Kelleher - for support in producing this site.
8. Dr. Joe Bispham - for advice, assistance and encouragement particularly covering the coins of Stephen.
9. G. Gittoes - for much valued help with the Short Cross series classifications and pictures.
10. C. Peckham - for pictures of Short Cross coins.
11. M. Shott - for advice, assistance on the Long Cross series, and pictures of coins.
12. R. Thomas - for advice, assistance and pictures of the Long Cross series.
13. R. Thomas and R. Churchill - for information on the revised classification of the Long Cross series in their publication of the Brussels Hoard published jointly with the British Numismatic Society special publication No 9a. & Baldwins 2012.
14. J.P. Mass Sylloge of Coins from the British Isles No. 56, published for the British Academy by Oxford University Press and Spink and Son Ltd. This work covers the Short Cross series.
15. Dr. Denis Martin - for assistance and support concerning the Edward I and Edward II coinages.
16. David Greenhalgh - for assistance with the Edward series and how Saxon, Norman and early medieval mints operated.
17. Ian Heavisides - for advice, assistance and pictures of the Long Cross series.
18. Mark Winiger - for various pictures and advice on both the Tealby and the Long Cross series.
19. Jonathan Morris - for assistance and pictures of the coinage of Edward I.
20. Jonathan Beck - for a picture of an Edward the Confessor coin.
21. Noonan's (formerly D.N.W.) - for pictures of Bury coins on their auction web site.
22. Spink - for pictures of Bury coins on their auction web site.
23. C.N.G. - for pictures of Bury coins on their auction web site.
24. Gerry Slevin - for the invaluable use of his fonts in both the Short and Long Cross coinages.
25. Dean Joe Hawes of St. Edmundsbury Cathedral - for the use of their picture of J. K. Hardy's impression of the Abbey painted c.1883 that is displayed in Bury St. Edmunds Cathedral.
26. Professor Rory Naismith - Dating of the Edward the Confessor series, Medieval European Coinage with a Catalogue of the Coins in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. VIII, Britain and Ireland c.400-1066 (Cambridge, 2017), pages 224-226.
There will be many others that I have not named so I will apologise if I have left some out. My next update will extend this list.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. The Abbey & Mint of Bury St Edmunds to 1279 by Dr. R. Eaglen. Published by Spink for The British Numismatic Society, Special Publication No. 5, 2006; ISBN 1 902040 75 9
2. The Abbey & Mint of Bury St Edmunds from 1279 by Dr. R. Eaglen. Published by Spink for The British Numismatic Society, Special Publication No. 11, 2014; ISBN 978-1-907427-37-4
3. The Brussels Hoard of 1908 by Ron Churchill and Bob Thomas. Published jointly with the British Numismatic Society as a special publication No.9. and Baldwin's 2012; ISBN 978-0-906919-23-1
4. Mints & Moneyers During The Reign of Henry III by Ron Churchill. Published by Baldwins; ISBN 978-0-906919-24-8
5. Edwardian English Silver Coins 1279 - 1351 by J.J. North; ISBN 0-19-726075-6
6. Sylloge of Coins of The British Isles 56; The J. P. Mass Collection of Short Cross Coins, 1180-1247 by J.P. Mass. Published for the British Academy, Spink and Son Ltd. 2001; ISBN 0-19-726254-6
7. English Hammered Coinage Volume 1, (Early Anglo-Saxon to Henry III c.600-1272) by J.J. North. Published by Spink and Son 1994; ISBN 0 907605 45 1
8. English Hammered Coinage Volume 2, Edward 1 to Charles II 1272 - 1662 By J.J. North published by Spink and Son 1994; ISBN 0-907605-34-6
9. Edmund - In search of England's Lost King by Francis Young. Published by I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd; ISBN 978 1 78831 179 1
10. The Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds - History Legacy & Discovery by Francis Young. First published by the Lasse Press; ISBN-13978-0-9933069-4-5
11. British Numismatic Journal (B.N.J.) from numerous entries since their first publication in 1904.
12. Numismatic Chronicle (N.C.) from the occasional entry since its first publication in 1836.
RECOMMENDED READING
The Abbey and Mint of Bury St. Edmunds to 1279, author Dr Robin J. Eaglen. Published for The British Numismatic Society, Special Publication Number 5. Spink London 2006; ISBN 1 902040 75 9. This comprehensive publication covers important aspects of the early years of the formation of the Abbey and the history of the mint from its commencement (c.1046 to 1279). Dr Eaglen has catalogued all the coins then known to him with pictures of every known die used at Bury St Edmunds.
The Abbey and Mint of Bury St. Edmunds from 1279, author Dr Robin J. Eaglen. Published for The British Numismatic Society, Special Publication Number 11. Spink London 2014; ISBN 978-1-907427-37-4. This comprehensive publication covers the history of the mint from 1279. Again Dr Eaglen has catalogued all the coins then known to him with pictures of every known die used at Bury St Edmunds.
Mints and Moneyers During the Reign of Henry III, author Ron Churchill; published by A.H. Baldwin and Sons Ltd. 2012 ISBN 978-0-906919-24-8. A very comprehensive and detailed publication of the history of all the mints and moneyers that struck coins during the reign of Henry III.
The Brussels Hoard of 1908, authors Ron Churchill and Bob Thomas; published jointly with the British Numismatic Society, Publication Number 9; Baldwins 2012, ISBN 978-0-906919-23-1. An exceptionally detailed report on the large hoard of silver pennies that was found in Brussels in 1908, the majority of which were the Long Cross coins of Henry III.
J.P. Mass Collection of Short Cross Coins, published for The British Academy by Oxford University Press and Spink and Son Ltd. 2001. ISBN 0-19-726254-6. This is an exceptional work on the Short Cross series of coins and really is a must-have book on this series, now sadly out of print and quite difficult to obtain.
Edmund - In search of England's Lost King by Francis Young. Published by I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd; ISBN 978 1 78831 179 1
The Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds - History Legacy & Discovery by Francis Young. First published by the Lasse Press; ISBN-13978-0-9933069-4-5
English Hammered Coinage Volume 1, (Early Anglo-Saxon to Henry III c 600-1272) by J.J. North, published by Spink and Son 1994; ISBN 0 907605 45 1
English Hammered Coinage Volume 2, (Edward 1 to Charles II 1272 - 1662) by J.J. North, published by Spink and Son 1994; ISBN 0-907605-34-6
British Numismatic Journal (B.N.J.) from numerous entries in the series from the reigns of Edward the Confessor to Edward III, since their first publication in 1904.
Numismatic Chronicle (N.C.) from numerous entries in the series from the reigns of Edward the Confessor to Edward III, since their first publication in 1836.
CONTACT
We're always on the lookout for new coins, new dies, and better quality images of existing types for Bury St Edmunds. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute:
Email: stedmundsbury1047.1329@gmail.com or use the contact form below.