Mints and Moneyers

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The earliest coins (sub-class 1a) of the long cross issue bear neither an indication of the mint at which they were struck, nor the name of the moneyer responsible for their issue. The absence of this information was a break with established practice dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and the most likely explanation for its omission is that the coins were struck solely at London, where Nicholas de Sancto Albano (Nicole on the coins) alone had responsibility. Hence, by default, the mint and moneyer were identifiable. Sub-class 1a, however, was of very brief duration, and the principal change that came about with the issue of sub-class 1b was the addition of a mint signature to the reverse inscription.

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The mint signatures that occur on sub-class 1b are those of London, Canterbury and Bury St Edmunds, coins of the last mint being extremely rare. There were, in fact, four ‘permanent’ mints in England at the time, and it is rather strange that the fourth of these, Durham, did not participate at this stage in what was a major recoinage. The mint had apparently fallen dormant some years beforehand, and although it was responsible for striking some of the later classes, it played no part in the early years when the level of activity was at a maximum. In fact all Durham long cross coins are quite scarce. Nicholas de Sancto Albano was the moneyer responsible for both of the king’s mints (London and Canterbury), and the abbot of Bury St Edmunds had a single moneyer, so the requirement for traceability was met by indicating the mint alone.

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It must have been apparent from the start of the project that the permanent mints alone would be unable to cope with the demands of the recoinage, and that a countrywide network of temporary mints and exchanges would be required. (The early coins produced in the permanent mints were, of course, necessary to initiate the process, as merchants bringing silver to the exchanges would require payment immediately in coins of the new type.) Instructions were accordingly issued for the establishment of sixteen temporary mints, located in towns and cities across the country. The places chosen were Bristol, Carlisle, Exeter*, Gloucester*, Hereford, Ilchester, Lincoln*, Newcastle, Northampton*, Norwich*, Oxford*, Shrewsbury, Wallingford, Wilton, Winchester* and York*.They operated between 1248 and 1250, with some opening a little earlier than others. The eight that are asterisked (*) produced coins of classes 2 and 3, while the remainder struck in class 3 alone. The permanent mints (excluding Durham) also struck in both classes.

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The involvement of the temporary mints, each with an initial complement of four moneyers, necessitated the design change that occurs on class 2, by which both the mint and the moneyer are named on the reverse of the coin. Class 3 coins (and all subsequent classes) continue the reverse format of class 2. The only difference between the two classes is a cosmetic one in which the king’s regnal number is changed from TERCI (an abbreviation indicating ‘the third’) to III.

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After the closure of the temporary mints, the four permanent mints (Durham at last included) participated in what amounted to routine production rather than recoinage. The obverse design was changed to show the king with a sceptre in his right hand, and other cosmetic changes were made that define the later classes, 4 through to 7. The details of these changes are described elsewhere in this article.

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Before leaving the mints and turning to the moneyers, it is worth mentioning that Durham and Bury were ecclesiastical mints, the profits of which were due respectively to the bishop and the abbot, not the king. The archbishop of Canterbury also had his own moneyer, and shared the profits of that city’s mint with the king. Likewise, the archbishop of York enjoyed the benefit of one moneyer during the brief recoinage period. Unlike the later Edwardian coins, the long cross pennies carry no marks that differentiate the ecclesiastical from the royal issues.

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We are very fortunate with regard to the information that is available concerning the moneyers of this coinage, particularly those responsible for the temporary mints. A list of their names, along with those of other mint officials, was made at the time of their appointment and has survived the passage of time. Coins of all of those named are known today, and just three additional names occur. One of these, Roger at Bristol, probably represents a later appointment following the death or termination of office of the original appointee. Another, Walter at Lincoln, is possibly accounted for by an error in the original list. The third, Tomas at York, was the archbishop’s moneyer, and thus additional to the four moneyers of the royal mint. Further details of the list (from the Appendix to The De Moneta of Nicholas Oresme) are given in the tables of mints and moneyers.

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Interestingly, two of the four moneyers at Wilton share the same first name, William, but coins struck by the two men appear to bear no marks of differentiation. This not only precludes our separation of the issues of the two men, but, more significantly, raises the question of how the authorities at the time would have brought the right man to justice in the event of malpractice. The same problem arises with three Williams and at least three Roberts at Canterbury, although it is possible that these men were not working at the same time.

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The status of moneyers at the time of the long cross coinage is another issue that requires comment. The title tends to conjure up an image of a workman wearing a leather apron and wielding a hammer. In fact, this perception is far from the truth. Moneyers of this period were men of significantly higher social status, and far removed from the actual production activities in the mint workshop. The records inform us, for example, that William de Gloucestre, who was granted dies in both London and Canterbury, was the king’s goldsmith, and Thomas de Weseham, another London moneyer, was the king’s surgeon.

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The illustrations that follow show a typical coin reverse for each of the twenty mints, permanent and temporary, that participated in the long cross coinage. Alongside each illustration are brief details of the classes of coins struck by the mint, the most common forms of mint signature, the names of the moneyers as they appear on the coins, and a transcription of the legend with ligated letters indicated by underlining. The illustrations are followed by a link to a table, which gives the full names of the moneyers, as well as the form used on the coins, and the classes and sub-classes of coin that are known for each of them.