fred's coins, and on 65, we have the first letters of the name Dorovernia, shewing that they were minted at Canterbury, and connecting them also with one type of the money of archbishop Plegmund. This last, 65, and the two varieties which follow, 66 and 67, together form a connecting link between the coins of Alfred and those which bear the name of St Edmund, martyred king of East-Anglia. These have generally been supposed to be of ecclesiastical origin and to have been minted in the monastery founded in honour of St Edmund at Bury. My opinion, founded on a careful consideration of the evidence of the coins themselves, and the circumstances of the two principal discoveries of them, is that they were neither ecclesiastical nor wholly confined to East-Anglia, but that they were simultaneously minted, chiefly in that but in other parts of England as well, in honour of S. Edmund, after the death of Ethelstan (Guthrum) and before the close of the ninth century. The first of the three here given, connects them with Alfred, and with Canterbury, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that it was at his suggestion, and by his authority, that this coinage was issued. On these Canterbury coins and on others, which, though blundered, appear to be of the same class, we have the following names of moneyers: There is a peculiarity to be observed on the coins which follow, viz. that they have their legends both in obverse and reverse disposed in lines, two, three, or four. With the exception of the coins of earl Sitric, all other coins of the English series, on which the obverse presents a linear legend, have a circular one on the Essays The name of the city of Oxford on these coins is usually read Orsnaford; Mr Sainthill has suggested that it should be read Oksnaforda, and I believe he is right. 71. This coin has a blundered legend both on the obverse and the reverse, but the former seems to be intended for ÆLFRED BERNVALDMO and the latter is evidently intended for ORSNAFORDA. It is, then, a distinct variety of the preceding coins, having the moneyer's name along with that of the king on the obverse and that of the mint on the reverse. BRITISH MUSEUM. PL. VI, FIG. 4. 72. On this piece we can just make out the name of Alfred on the obverse, but the rest of the legend is so much blundered as to defy explanation. It is certainly not an Oxford coin, but may take its place here, as holding out to us the expectation of future discoveries of coins from other mints similar to those of Oxford. It will be observed that a part of the obverse legend is common to that of the reverse. 73. EVE RAT. a single step. In two lines: between them a cross on a ME FECIT. In two lines. J. KENYON ESQ. PL. VI, FIG. 6. This beautiful half-penny, together with the Oxford penny, 69, and the halfpenny, 72, are connected by their type with some of those of Siefred, discovered along with them at Cuerdale. 74. + AELFRED REX SAXON VM. In four lines. GARLAND Esq. PL. VI, FIG. 7. grains. If it were intended be a quarter of the mancus. The weight of this piece is 164 for a coin, it must be supposed to The mancus of silver should weigh 675 grains, and its quarter 168 grains. 77. A fragment of a similar coin. BRITISH MUSEUM. PL. VI, FIG. 10. The title on these coins Rex Saxonum occurring in connection with the names of the mints of Exeter, 75, and Winchester, 76 and 77, seems to confirm my conjecture that the coins which also present this title in Pl. II are of West-Saxon origin. In connexion with these I give two similar coins of Alfred's son and successor Edward minted at Bath. PL. VI, Figs. 11, 12. THE FORMER IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM, THE LATTER IN MR CUFF'S COLLECTION. |