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 Replies: 5,022 / Views: 375,843 |
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Pillar of the Community
 Sweden
2124 Posts |
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Harold II (he who lost at the Battle of Hastings) Penny minted in London by Godric in 1066. Truly one out of the ordinary!  A coin with a historic significance hard to surpass. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
Wow. That is a drool-worthy coin to be sure and a stunning bit of history.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Moderator
 United States
100282 Posts |
That is a great looking Coin. You say it was minted in 1066 - wasn't William I The Conqueror just starting his reign that year? I'll have to look in the morning to see what the correlation is between these 2 persons.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Thanks for all the interest! Yes, the coin has the "PAX" reverse - for "Peace" - not that there was much of that around.
A brief history for those who don't want to look it up:
Edward the Confessor died in January 1066. His natural heir under the Saxon system was Harold Godwinson, who assumed the throne and is now known as Harold II. However, both the Danes under Hardrada and William of Normandy also had claims to the throne. Harold succeeded in defeating Hardrada at the battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire on 25th September 1066 and then marched south (240 miles) to meet the invading Normans under William. It is likely that the Braintree hoard was hidden by one of his soldiers during this march.
Harold met William in battle at Hastings on 14th October and was defeated, as we all know. The battle is commemorated in the Bayeux tapestry, though the detail of Harold getting an arrow in his eye is unconfirmed.
So my coin could only have been minted in the fairly short interval between January and October 1066, which is why Harold II coins are pretty scarce!
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
18069 Posts |
Wonderful acquisition, PaddyB!  |
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Moderator
United States
100282 Posts |
Thanks for the additional info and history of this coin Paddy!
I'm sure glad you are around here - the stuff you know about these artifacts is impressive.
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Pillar of the Community
Sweden
2124 Posts |
The PAX on Harold's coin intrigued me, since I have a denier from Bearn, slightly later, with PAX on it. The explanation I have seen for that (it is more of a theory than an established fact) is that it was an expression of the Lord of Bearn's intention to comply with Pax Dei (Peace of God), the peace movement initiated by the church in the 10th century. Its initial purpose was to protect church property and unarmed clerics from the violence that spread across the former Carolingian empire as central control weakened and feudal lords fought for power. The movement soon expanded its scope to include protection for the poor, women, and other defenseless groups that were exposed to violence, and it also spread over larger parts of Europe. I don't know how much it influenced Britain, but apparently Edward the Confessor, Harold II, and William the Conqueror all issued coins with PAX (or PACX or PAXS) on them. If that holds, then it was more an expression for a will to protect the subjects from violence rather than to refrain from war. Anyway, I paid a visit to a bookshop today. I usually buy my books online, but today, mostly by chance, I strolled into a physical bookshop, since there is a nationwide book sale this week. I came across this book, and with the Harold penny in mind, I could not resist buying it. The author is well known (in Sweden) for his popular history books, and as you can see I got it for a good price (79 SEK is about £6).  |
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Moderator
United States
191235 Posts |
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Here's something out of the ordinary, just arrived... Harold II Penny minted in London by Godric in 1066. Outstanding!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
191235 Posts |
Quote:
A few upgrades picked up today. 1708E Halfcrown (Edinburgh, 1743 Halfpenny and 1918 Penny: Wonderful! |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
251 Posts |
@jbuck have you ever considered doing something other than languishing on the forum all day posting 1 word responses?  |
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Moderator
United States
191235 Posts |
Sure, but I always find the time to come back to look at all the eye candy.  |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
251 Posts |
Find a hobby offline, explore the outside world  |
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Moderator
United States
191235 Posts |
I have to be online for work, so I come here when I am waiting for stuff to happen.  I usually go offline and outside for the weekends. Unless the weather is poor, then I go old-school with my Commodore 128... no modem, just a large selection of diskettes. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
18069 Posts |
PaddyB - nice coins! Are those scratches or adjustment marks on the reverse of the 1708-E halfcrown?
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Replies: 5,022 / Views: 375,843 |
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Posted 02/23/2024 9:10 pm
