Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/279

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PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.
261

Mr. Wright exhibited a drawing of part of the ruins of old St. Clement's church at Worcester, which was pulled down a few years ago, when the new church of St. Clement was built. They have the apparent character of very early Norman work, and the church itself appears to have been an ancient structure.

Archaeological Journal, Volume 1, 0279a.png

Ruins of old St. Clement's Church. Worcester.

A curious circumstance connected with these ruins is the discovery of a gold coin of Edward the Confessor, said to have been found in the wall immediately over the arches by the workmen employed in pulling it down. This coin, now in the possession of T. H. Spurrier, Esq., is represented in the annexed engraving. The inscription on one side is Edward Rex; and on the reverse Lyfinc on Wærinc, signifying that it was coined by Lyfinc at Warwick (for this seems to be the place designated). It must not be concealed that doubts have been entertained of the authenticity of this coin, (chiefly from the circumstance of no other gold Saxon coin being known,) and therefore of the truth of the story of its discovery. On the other hand it may be stated, that no instance of the same type on other metal seems to be known; and Mr. Jabez Allies of Worcester has taken some pains to trace the history of its discovery, and has taken the affidavits of the persons concerned as to the correctness of their story[1]. The arches, though in

  1. The following statements are given by Mr. Allies in his work On the Ancient British, Roman, and Saxon Antiquities of Worcestershire, p. 14.

    "The particulars are these:—In the year 1837, having heard that Thomas Henry Spurrier, Esq., of Edgbaston, near Birmingham, had the coin in question in his collection, I called upon him, when he shewed it to me, and said that he bought