Midland Naturalist/Volume 01/The Tamworth Treasure Trove and the Tamworth Mint

by Arthur A. Clarson

The Tamworth Treasure Trove and the Tamworth Mint.

 

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By Arthur A. Clarson.

Fig. 6.

Fig 6.

The interest which has been excited by the recent discovery at Tamworth of coins of the date of the two first Williams, leads me to suppose that an account of the "find" would not be unacceptable. Nor do I think such an account out of place in a magazine especially devoted to the Natural History, Archæology, &c., of the district in which they were found.

A disquisition on the Antiquities of Tamworth would be foreign to the subject, yet some reference must be made, as they are indirectly connected with the discovery and rescue of the coins. Tamworth is the most ancient town in the county of Stafford, says the learned and pedantic Dr. Plot. We have, probably, an Ancient British mound, on which stands the present Castle, the keep of former extensive fortalice. Roman remains are found in the vicinity, and the town itself is encompassed by quadrangular castrametation, consisting of earthworks with a fosse, attributed to the Saxon period. It was also a seat of the Mercian Kings, an important place in the reign of Alfred the Great, the scene of the marriage of the sister of Athelstan, was thrice sacked by the Danes, and rebuilt by the "Ladie of the Mercians," Ethelfleda; few towns, indeed, can boast of such a history as the "ancient and loyal" borough of Tamworth.

The castrametation before alluded to is supposed to be of Saxon origin, but, with a view of further proving the question, some members of the Tamworth Natural History, Geological, and Antiquarian Society sunk a shaft in a mound in the north-eastern angle, the result of their efforts being somewhat indecisive. In the same field, however, but a short distance off, one of the workmen engaged in excavating for the foundation of a wall in connection with the new schools, turned up with his pick the leaden casket containing the coins. I had timely information of the discovery, and was fortunately enabled to rescue this valuable "find" from dispersion,

The casket, of which a representation is given, (through the kindness of Mr. B. V. Head, of the British Museum,} was formed of a piece of beaten lead, turned over on three sides, something like a "turn-over tart,” and, on being opened, was found to contain 294 silver pennies of the reigns of William I. or William II, These were afterwards taken to London by the Vicar of Tamworth, the Rev. Brooke Lambert, and delivered up as "Treasure Trove." The authorities of the British Museum selected 103 for the National Collection, 41 were appropriated by the Royal Mint, and the remainder returned to Tamworth.

The coins were of four distinct types, Hawking 242, 244, 245, (three coins only,} and 246. No. 242 is the well known "paxs" type usually attributed to William the Conqueror—the obverse, head, full faced, bust extending to edge of the coin, right hand bearing a sceptre is crossed over the bust, so that the sceptre appears on the right of the coin the proper left of the figure, sceptre has a crass paté at the top, the shaft foliated, on the head a crown with labels or "ear drops," over the right shoulder three mullets, inscription Pillelm Rex. Reverse, cross potent, a small circle in each of the quadrants, one letter of the word P.A.X.S. in each circle; circumscribed is the moneyer's name and place of mintage.

The second type of coin, Hawkins 244, has the head in profile looking to the right, sword in right hand, mullets on each shoulder, bust extending to edge, inscription as before. Reverse, cross potent with fleur-de-lis in the quadrants, moneyer's name and place of mintage.

The third type, Hawkins 245, (three coins only,) I had not noticed before the collection left my hands.

The fourth type, Hawkins 246. Head full faced and crowned, labels at the ears, sword in right hand on proper right of figure, left side of coin, mullet on left shoulder, bust extending to edge, inscription as before. Reverse, cross potent in a compartment formed by four semi-circles having pellets at the intersections, moneyer’s name and place of mintage.

The greatest interest is attached to the moneyer's name and places of coinage. No less than 42 towns are represented in the Tamworth find. In explanation of this if may be as well to mention that the Saxon Kings granted the privilege of coining to their subjects, and this custom was continued through the Norman period. Canterbury had seven mints, London eight, Rochester three, Winchester six, Lewes, Hastings, Wareham, Exeter, Shaftesbury, and Hampton each two, and in every good town one coiner, the stamp being provided by the King. The following is the list of the towns represented in the find, with the number of coins of each town:—

The following is a list of the moneyers in, and the contractions used for, the towns in the midland district:—

William I.	William II. (?)
(Hawkins 242.)	(Hawkins 244.)	(Hawkins 245, 246.)
	Worcester.
	BALDRIC ON PIHR	BALDRIC ON PIHR
	ESTMÆR ON PIHR	ESTMÆR ON PIH
		ESTMÆR ON PIHR
		GODPINE ON PIHR
		SEPINE ON PHRI[1]

Speculation as to the cause of the deposit in the place where it was found would be futile. There is no doubt it was a local hoard from the number of coins of the Tamworth mintage, and a few notes on the Tamworth Mint will properly conclude this article.

The revered historian of Tamworth, Charles Ferrers Palmer, says that the name as a place of mintage first appears upon a penny of Edward the Martyr, (975,) as TANWO. A coin of Canute the Great is mentioned by Pitt in his History of Staffordshire, having on the reverse EDRIC ON TAM; i.e., "Edric, Moneyer in Tamworth."

The next reign of which coins of Tamworth are extant is that of Edward the Confessor, in which the name appears as TONWVRTH and TONWYRTH. The only specimen of the Confessor's coinage issued from Tamworth with which Palmer was acquainted, is a silver penny, bearing on the obverse the inscription EDWARD REX, and on the reverse, BRVNING ON TAM.

I am indebted to Mr. J. Thompson for the use of the block of this coin, which was cut for Palmer's History of Tamworth.

Fig. 7.—Silver Penny of Edward the Confessor.

Fig. 7.—Silver Penny of Edward the Confessor.

Ruding mentions some coins of Harold bearing the contraction TAN, which he conjectured to be either Tamworth, or Taunton in Somersetshire.

After the Conquest, says Palmer, the Royal Mint of Tamworth was in activity until the time of Henry I, in whose reign it was discontinued, (Ruding), Through Mr. Thompson's kindness I am also enabled to give a representation of another Tamworth coin of William the Conqueror (or William Rufus?), which differs from those in our recent find.

Fig. 8.—Silver Penny of William I. (or II. ?).

Fig. 8.—Silver Penny of William I. (or II. ?).

On the obverse PILLEMV REX, and on the reverse BRVNING ON TANPI.

Bruning was a coiner, or moneyer, of Tamworth in the time of Edward the Confessor, and continued in the reign of William II.

Pitt mentions another silver penny of William II, having on the reverse IELFPINE ON TAM.

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1. In each case the Saxon character, the Wen is used for W, and in this article the Roman P, which it resembles, is substituted.