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Auction 23107 31 Mar 2023
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The Owen-Rooke Collection | William I 'the Conqueror' (1066-1087), "The First English Town to Declare Support for the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings", 'Profile/Cross Fleury' Type, Penny, 1066-1067, Wallingford, Beorhtmær [under Wiggod, Sheriff of Oxfordshire], + PILLEMVS REX N, crowned bust left, sceptre before, rev. + BRIHTMAR ON PAL, voided cross fleury with annulet at centre, 1.35g, 12h (Hawkins 233; Wilcox [1908], 75 = Winser [1915], 47 = Talbot-Ready [1920], 200; Gantz [1922], 101; Edmonds [1854], 222 = Kettlewell [1860], 420 = Rishton [1875], 7 = Sheriff Mackenzie [1883], 529 = SNC, May 1893, no. 4913 = SNC, May 1898, no. 45452 = Packe [1921], 4 = Lockett [1955], 881; SNC, Nov.-Dec. 1924, no. 35822 = SNC, Nov.-Dec. 1925, no. 46809 = SNC, May 1930, no. 96594 = SNC, May 1937, no. 61221; Bruun [1925], 195 = Parsons [1954], 212 this coin; Young [1919], 64 = SNC, Jul.-Aug. 1920, no. 84295 = Lawrence II [1951], 299 = SCBI 20 [Mack] 1351 and Sale I, lot 220 same dies; North 839; BMC I [no. 46] = EMC 1987.0169 = Lawrence [1903], 30; Spink 1250), partial striking softness to curious and possibly even 'rebellious' legends, nevertheless with a pleasing portrait and uniform cabinet tone, a wholesome extremely fine, and exceedingly rare, of great historical significance as a direct eyewitness to the key events of the Norman Conquest, only four examples traced by this cataloguer in over 150 years of public sales, with this unseen in over 45 years.
Provenance
The Owen-Rooke Collection of Oxfordshire Pennies (978-1272)
SCMB, November 1977, E1163* - dark tone, rare, EF - £325
'Silver Pennies of the Mint of Wallingford', SCMB, March 1958, no. 9266* - EF - £8.10.0,
Almost certainly:,
SNC, March 1955, no. 13416 - scarce, EF - £5.15.0,
H A Parsons, Glendining, 11-13 May 1954, lot 212 [part] - "extremely fine and scarce" - £12.10.0 [Spink],
L E Bruun, Part I, Sotheby's, 18-22 May 1925, lot 195 [part] - "extremely fine and rare" - £3.10.0 [Spink],
SNC, December 1897, no. 42108 - "a very fine penny, RR. E.F." - £2.5.0
, ,
"William marched on, ravaging as he went, to the immediate neighbourhood of London, but keeping ever on the right bank of the Thames. But a gallant sally of the citizens was repulsed by the Normans, and the suburb of Southwark was burned. William marched along the river to Wallingford. Here he crossed, receiving for the first time the active support of an Englishman of high rank, Wiggod of Wallingford, Sheriff of Oxfordshire. He became one of a small class of Englishmen who were received to William's fullest favour, and kept at least as high a position under him as they had held before." [Professor Freeman (Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1898, pp. 95). Soon after, Stigand, depicted in propaganda alone as the Archbishop who crowned Harold Godwinesson on the Bayeaux Tapestry, met with William at Wallingford in early December 1066 to become one of the first faith leaders to submit to the new overlord. Soon after Noblemen would meet the King at Beorcham (Berkhamsted, Herts) to recognise his claim to the English throne.
, ,
The rendering of legends and titles are as interesting as they are changeable throughout the Conqueror's two decade reign in the 11th Century. Indeed other specimens within this collection testify to the ease by which letters like L or S were omitted from the King's latinised form. It is of course the beauty of the Old English language that William never appears as such on his coinage, but a hybrid corruption using the traditional letter 'Wynn' rendered more like a 'P' in our modern alphabet. However the ending of his titles on this coin is particularly thought-provoking, especially as the moneyer is evidently of Saxon heritage - Beorhtmær - ['famed for brightness']. Wallingford would be the first large town in England in which the new Norman overlord received the active support of an Englishman of high rank following the Battle of Hastings. Wiggod, Sheriff of Oxfordshire would be received in William's fullest favour, and would retain at least as high a position as he held pre-Conquest. With this Royal favour in mind, the deliberate puncheon letter N as opposed to A for ANG, may of course be another simple mistake. However our moneyer, may also have been making a subtle nodding towards the new King's dubious heritage, an illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy. Perhaps to Beorhtmær, this Bastard King, was just that - Pillemus, Rex Normanni - William, "King of the Normans". Whether this was a deliberate slight towards the new King is not clear, his contemporary moneyers Brandr, Svartlingr and Svertingr refine themselves to 'REX A', 'REXI' or simply 'REX'. The same 'REX N' form is seen at Bedwyn, Bury St. Edmunds, Exeter, Hereford, London, Oxford, Salisbury, Shaftesbury, Taunton, Wallingford, Warwick, Wilton and Winchester. In any case, Beorhtmær had been entrusted by both Harold II and Edward the Confessor before him to produce the King's coin since at least 1062 (SCBI 9, 996), and like his contemporary Brandr who had been in post since at least 1056 (SCBI 9, 891) successfully navigated the transition, where pointedly other moneyers Burgwine (SCBI 2, 212) and Brunwine (SCBI 20, 1329) did not. In any case, Beorhtmær would continue as a trusted money-maker for William I until his presumed death by November 1075, for he is not known to have struck the famous 'Two Stars' variety (BMC V), introduced after the appearance of Halley's Comet.
, ,
The recent Chew Valley hoard (BM 2019 T88) documents only eleven further additions to this extremely pauce corpus for Wallingford, 3 of Brand; 6 of Beorhtmær and 2 of Swerting. Eight of these coins are officially recorded as 'Bent', leaving only one of each in 'connoisseur' grades.
Estimate: £2000 - £2600
Provenance
The Owen-Rooke Collection of Oxfordshire Pennies (978-1272)
SCMB, November 1977, E1163* - dark tone, rare, EF - £325
'Silver Pennies of the Mint of Wallingford', SCMB, March 1958, no. 9266* - EF - £8.10.0,
Almost certainly:,
SNC, March 1955, no. 13416 - scarce, EF - £5.15.0,
H A Parsons, Glendining, 11-13 May 1954, lot 212 [part] - "extremely fine and scarce" - £12.10.0 [Spink],
L E Bruun, Part I, Sotheby's, 18-22 May 1925, lot 195 [part] - "extremely fine and rare" - £3.10.0 [Spink],
SNC, December 1897, no. 42108 - "a very fine penny, RR. E.F." - £2.5.0
, ,
"William marched on, ravaging as he went, to the immediate neighbourhood of London, but keeping ever on the right bank of the Thames. But a gallant sally of the citizens was repulsed by the Normans, and the suburb of Southwark was burned. William marched along the river to Wallingford. Here he crossed, receiving for the first time the active support of an Englishman of high rank, Wiggod of Wallingford, Sheriff of Oxfordshire. He became one of a small class of Englishmen who were received to William's fullest favour, and kept at least as high a position under him as they had held before." [Professor Freeman (Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1898, pp. 95). Soon after, Stigand, depicted in propaganda alone as the Archbishop who crowned Harold Godwinesson on the Bayeaux Tapestry, met with William at Wallingford in early December 1066 to become one of the first faith leaders to submit to the new overlord. Soon after Noblemen would meet the King at Beorcham (Berkhamsted, Herts) to recognise his claim to the English throne.
, ,
The rendering of legends and titles are as interesting as they are changeable throughout the Conqueror's two decade reign in the 11th Century. Indeed other specimens within this collection testify to the ease by which letters like L or S were omitted from the King's latinised form. It is of course the beauty of the Old English language that William never appears as such on his coinage, but a hybrid corruption using the traditional letter 'Wynn' rendered more like a 'P' in our modern alphabet. However the ending of his titles on this coin is particularly thought-provoking, especially as the moneyer is evidently of Saxon heritage - Beorhtmær - ['famed for brightness']. Wallingford would be the first large town in England in which the new Norman overlord received the active support of an Englishman of high rank following the Battle of Hastings. Wiggod, Sheriff of Oxfordshire would be received in William's fullest favour, and would retain at least as high a position as he held pre-Conquest. With this Royal favour in mind, the deliberate puncheon letter N as opposed to A for ANG, may of course be another simple mistake. However our moneyer, may also have been making a subtle nodding towards the new King's dubious heritage, an illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy. Perhaps to Beorhtmær, this Bastard King, was just that - Pillemus, Rex Normanni - William, "King of the Normans". Whether this was a deliberate slight towards the new King is not clear, his contemporary moneyers Brandr, Svartlingr and Svertingr refine themselves to 'REX A', 'REXI' or simply 'REX'. The same 'REX N' form is seen at Bedwyn, Bury St. Edmunds, Exeter, Hereford, London, Oxford, Salisbury, Shaftesbury, Taunton, Wallingford, Warwick, Wilton and Winchester. In any case, Beorhtmær had been entrusted by both Harold II and Edward the Confessor before him to produce the King's coin since at least 1062 (SCBI 9, 996), and like his contemporary Brandr who had been in post since at least 1056 (SCBI 9, 891) successfully navigated the transition, where pointedly other moneyers Burgwine (SCBI 2, 212) and Brunwine (SCBI 20, 1329) did not. In any case, Beorhtmær would continue as a trusted money-maker for William I until his presumed death by November 1075, for he is not known to have struck the famous 'Two Stars' variety (BMC V), introduced after the appearance of Halley's Comet.
, ,
The recent Chew Valley hoard (BM 2019 T88) documents only eleven further additions to this extremely pauce corpus for Wallingford, 3 of Brand; 6 of Beorhtmær and 2 of Swerting. Eight of these coins are officially recorded as 'Bent', leaving only one of each in 'connoisseur' grades.
Estimate: £2000 - £2600