Description
Edward the Confessor (1042-66), Penny, Pyramids type (1065-66), Stafford mint, struck on a small flan as is often the case with Stafford and Shrewsbury mint issues, moneyer Godwine, crowned bust right, trefoil tipped sceptre in front, legend surrounds EΛDÞΛRD RE. Rev, voided short cross, in each angle a pyramid style symbol terminating in a pellet tip, annulet in centre, legend reads +GODPINE ON STIE, 1.30g (S.1184; N.831; BMC XV; SCBI 20 [Mack] 1328; SCBI 42 [South Eastern Museums] 1667; SCBI 1 [Fitzwilliam] 964, same obverse die).
Some obverse doubling struck slightly off centre, nevertheless a pleasing example. Reverse superb with clear fields and the smallest of soft spots in inscriptions, light golden toning. A collectible mint town fastened to a good provenance. Very fine, reverse good very fine in good style, rare.
Bought Baldwin, possibly Oulton Hoard
Ex. Horace Herbert King (1890-1976) collection, with an old supporting ticket.
cf., ‘A Small Parcel of Coins from the Oulton, Staffordshire Hoard of 1795 (CCH 266) an Australian connection’ S. Green, [BNS Research Blog, 7th August 2019].
Others of this type, mint and moneyer have featured in auction with the same style obverse, double struck with a bold reverse die, [cf., Spink, Auction 9026, lot 18, 1/10/2009 also DNW Sale 123, 11/06/2014, lot 125 – both in the same style as our example here, both graded as very fine with a mention of the doubling to the obverse]. The Mack reference example [SCBI 20, Plate XLV, 1328] appears to be of the similar dies, this specimen had been also bought by Baldwin in 1961, ‘probably from the Oulton find’. A quick cross reference for Oulton find revealed a coin that went to auction via CNG on the 12th August 2020, this piece being a Chester mint Pyramids Penny (variety) of Leofnoth; the obverse ‘severely double struck on obverse – find patina, ex Oulton.’ All Oulton or potential Oulton finds that the cataloguer has come across for BMC XV present the same obverse motif for this type, of die doubling and/or off centre striking, ghosting or perhaps display the same style of strike put more succinctly by Green as ‘have the same blurred obverse strike.’ The SCBI 1 [Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge] reference 964, no provenance, plate XXXI, again shows a die match to ours, weighing exactly the same 20.1 grains (in new money 1.30 grams). It seems probable that our coin may derive from the Oulton Hoard taking into account the readily available data.
