Sank in Scilly Isles 1743 AD

Silver 8 Reales Pillar Dollar

Mexico Philip V of Spain, AD 1740

Crowned shield/Twin pillars

39mm, 26.39g

This coin comes with a ‘Certificate of Origin’ giving details of the wreck

The Hollandia, sunk in 1743 off the Scilly Isles, southwest of England.
Blown off course on her way to the East Indies, the Hollandia struck Gunner Rock and sank in about 110 feet of water 1½ miles east of the rock on July 13, 1743. There were no survivors.
The first sign of the wreck came in 1971, when divers under Rex Cowan located the wreck site and within a couple years salvaged over 35,000 silver coins among the nearly 130,000 guilders (dollar-sized units) recorded to be on board the Hollandia. A great majority of the coins were Mexican “pillar dollars,” but there were also some silver cobs, including the scarce Mexican transitional “klippes” of 1733-1734 and a few Guatemala cobs, in mixed condition.

The post Shipwreck Treasure VOC Hollandia Sank in Scilly Isles 1743 AD Silver 8 Reales Pillar Dollar Spain appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Sank in Scilly Isles 1743 AD

Silver 8 Reales Pillar Dollar

Mexico Philip V of Spain, AD 1740

Crowned shield/Twin pillars

39mm, 26.40g

This coin comes with a ‘Certificate of Origin’ giving details of the wreck.

The Hollandia, sunk in 1743 off the Scilly Isles, southwest of England.
Blown off course on her way to the East Indies, the Hollandia struck Gunner Rock and sank in about 110 feet of water 1½ miles east of the rock on July 13, 1743. There were no survivors.
The first sign of the wreck came in 1971, when divers under Rex Cowan located the wreck site and within a couple years salvaged over 35,000 silver coins among the nearly 130,000 guilders (dollar-sized units) recorded to be on board the Hollandia. A great majority of the coins were Mexican “pillar dollars,” but there were also some silver cobs, including the scarce Mexican transitional “klippes” of 1733-1734 and a few Guatemala cobs, in mixed condition.

The post Shipwreck Treasure VOC Hollandia Sank in Scilly Isles 1743 AD Silver 8 Reales Pillar Dollar Spain appeared first on Silbury Coins.

AD 1726

Laureate bust  right/ Crowned Cruciform shields

S3633; 8.28g, 25mm

A pleasing example with no damage.

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AD 1710

Draped bust left/ Crowned Cruciform shields

S3574; 8.27g, 25mm

A pleasing portrait and honest piece, scratches between 3 and 6 o’clock on reverse (see photo).

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Anne was the second daughter of James II but unlike James remained a protestant. Married to George of Denmark she produced 17 children although none survived to take the throne. Anne presided over the Act of Union between Scotland and England in AD 1707. Her reign also saw a highly effective war against Louis XIV of France which was then the dominant power in Europe. During a highly effective campaign commanded by the Duke of Marlborough the French were beaten back and eventually sued for peace.

Bullion captured from the Spanish in Vigo bay was used to issue a number of gold and silver coins all of which have VIGO inscribed beneath the queens bust.

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Shield in tressure/ Royal Cross in tressure

Cross over shield

S1674; 18mm, 1.84g

Field damage to the reverse, an affordable example of a Medieval gold coin.

Richard II was the son of the Black Prince and grandson of Edward III. The Black Prince died the year before his father and so Richard who was next in line succeeded to the throne, aged 10, upon the death of his grandfather in AD 1377. Until Richard came of age his uncle John of Gaunt became the effective Regent.

One of Richards first challenges was the Peasants Revolt of AD 1381. This was brought about by the high level of taxation and in particular a Poll Tax which was levied to help pay for the war with France. The Black Death thirty years earlier had decimated the population thereby leading to a severe shortage of serfs. One of the Peasants demands was that serfdom be abolished. When the revolt reached London John of Gaunt’s palace was burnt down and the Bishop of London was killed. Richard rode out to meet the leaders of the Revolt at Blackheath. Here the leader of the peasants, Wat Tyler, was pulled from his horse and killed. Richard showing presence of mind addressed the peasants directly telling them that he agreed to act upon their grievances. Although the revolt then petered out the charters to which Richard had agreed were not acted upon.

Richard was considerably less war like than his father and grandfather. Richard tried to stop the war with France. Although he failed in stopping the war there was effectively a truce. An expedition he led to Ireland was however successful in securing the support of the Irish nobles.

Richard tried to reduce the power of the aristocracy but this resulted in their revolt and the setting up of the Lords Appellant. Although Richard regained control when he took his revenge by killing or exiling the Lords who had revolted the son of John of Gaunt, Henry Bolingbroke returned with an army which landed in Wales. Rather than fight Richard agreed to abdicate and was then taken back to London as captive. Although Henry had agreed to spare Richard’s life when a plot was discovered to have Richard reinstated Henry had Richard moved to Pontefract Castle where he is believed to have been starved to death early in AD 1400.

Although Shakespeare describes Richard as being weak and vindictive he was in fact intelligent and a patron of the arts as well as of architecture. It was during Richards reign that Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were written.

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Pre Treaty Period

Shield in tressure with cross in circle over/Royal Cross in tressure

Omits French titles

Calais

S1513; 18mm, 1.76g

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Son of Edward II, Edward III is another great warrior king of The Middle Ages and is most famous for his campaigns in France and the great English victories at Sluys, Crecy and Poitiers at the start of the Hundred Years War. A campaign against the Scots at the start of his reign was unsuccessful however when Edward dismissed his chief minister, Roger Mortimer, he agreed a truce before taking up arms against France. The English won a naval victory at Sluys in AD 1340 which gave them control of the Channel. Landing an army in France Edward beat the French at Crecy capturing Calais. Ten years later his son Edward, The Black Prince, won an impressive victory at Poitiers thanks in part to the effectiveness of the English longbows. The Treaty of Bretigny in AD 1360 granted Edward additional territory in France although he also renounced his claim to the French throne. There was then a lull in the war and as Edward became older he became more lethargic leaving most of the campaigning to his sons
Edward’s reign saw the devastation of England’s population as well as those of most other European countries. Edward instigated various Legal reforms but is better known for his creation of various orders of chivalry which include the Order of the Garter. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were also written towards the end of his reign.
The Groat was reintroduced during Edward’s reign together the first issue of gold coinage. Firstly the florin or leopard followed by the noble. In Ireland there was a small issue of silver halfpennies however there was a large issue of Anglo Gallic coins both in Edward’s name and also his son the Black Prince.

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Danish East Anglia AD 885-954 Silver Penny

St Edmund Memorial

Alpha / Small Cross

S960; 18mm, 1.38g

This coin comes with a rough find area provenance.

Saint Edmund’s pennies

Perhaps the most numerous of the Anglo-Viking issues struck in the Danelaw are the so-called ‘St Edmund Memorial’ pennies, copying issues of Edmund – the King of East Anglia who was martyred in 869. These coins were struck in several phases from c. 895-910 by a dizzying array of moneyers, who demonstrate not only indigenous Anglo-Saxon names but also Scandinavian and even continental ones. These attest to a thriving, internationally-reaching polity that was probably somewhat diverse.

It might seem bizarre to think that the sons and grandsons of those who had originally killed Edmund had now moved to striking coins celebrating him as ‘SC EADMUND’ (Saint Edmund) within their own territory. However, perhaps there is a relevant point here to be made concerning the extent to which Christian beliefs had been adopted and the hold which Edmund’s cult held over the local populace. Perhaps the newly-converted Danes, feeling guilty for their ancestors’ martyrdom of Edmund, were trying to make spiritual amends by venerating him on their coins?

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Corded Triangle

Plain / Horse left with corded triangle above and cross hatched net below

ABC198, S172; 11mm, 1.28g

A very pretty example, well struck on a good flan making this better than most examples of this type.

This coin comes with a rough find area provenance.

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The Cantii Tribe occupied a similar area to that of modern day Kent, the name of which very probably deriving from ‘Cantii’. Julius Caesar considered the South-east corner of Britain to be the most civilised, if we look at the series of Potins which were in production at the time (few other tribes had started to produce coins at this early point) then it would suggest this to be true.

Other tribes must have quickly caught up and overtaken as the later series of coinage in Kent is rather minimal, Vosenos, Sam & Amminus only known by a handful of coins.

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Pre Treaty

French title

Shield in tressure / Royal Cross in tressure.

mm. cross

S1498; 20mm, 1.93g

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Son of Edward II, Edward III is another great warrior king of The Middle Ages and is most famous for his campaigns in France and the great English victories at Sluys, Crecy and Poitiers at the start of the Hundred Years War. A campaign against the Scots at the start of his reign was unsuccessful however when Edward dismissed his chief minister, Roger Mortimer, he agreed a truce before taking up arms against France. The English won a naval victory at Sluys in AD 1340 which gave them control of the Channel. Landing an army in France Edward beat the French at Crecy capturing Calais. Ten years later his son Edward, The Black Prince, won an impressive victory at Poitiers thanks in part to the effectiveness of the English longbows. The Treaty of Bretigny in AD 1360 granted Edward additional territory in France although he also renounced his claim to the French throne. There was then a lull in the war and as Edward became older he became more lethargic leaving most of the campaigning to his sons
Edward’s reign saw the devastation of England’s population as well as those of most other European countries. Edward instigated various Legal reforms but is better known for his creation of various orders of chivalry which include the Order of the Garter. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were also written towards the end of his reign.
The Groat was reintroduced during Edward’s reign together the first issue of gold coinage. Firstly the florin or leopard followed by the noble. In Ireland there was a small issue of silver halfpennies however there was a large issue of Anglo Gallic coins both in Edward’s name and also his son the Black Prince.

The post Edward III AD 1327-1377 Gold Quarter Noble Pre Treaty appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Danish East Anglia AD 885-954 Silver Penny

St Edmund Memorial

Alpha / Cross

NGC Slab MS62

S960; 18mm, 41.54g (Slab weight)

A high grade example.

Saint Edmund’s pennies

Perhaps the most numerous of the Anglo-Viking issues struck in the Danelaw are the so-called ‘St Edmund Memorial’ pennies, copying issues of Edmund – the King of East Anglia who was martyred in 869. These coins were struck in several phases from c. 895-910 by a dizzying array of moneyers, who demonstrate not only indigenous Anglo-Saxon names but also Scandinavian and even continental ones. These attest to a thriving, internationally-reaching polity that was probably somewhat diverse.

It might seem bizarre to think that the sons and grandsons of those who had originally killed Edmund had now moved to striking coins celebrating him as ‘SC EADMUND’ (Saint Edmund) within their own territory. However, perhaps there is a relevant point here to be made concerning the extent to which Christian beliefs had been adopted and the hold which Edmund’s cult held over the local populace. Perhaps the newly-converted Danes, feeling guilty for their ancestors’ martyrdom of Edmund, were trying to make spiritual amends by venerating him on their coins?

The post Anglo Viking Danish East Anglia AD 885-954 Silver Penny St Edmund Memorial NGC Slab MS62 appeared first on Silbury Coins.