SOIE COINS OF THE CLERDALE FIND

(Extrait du tome V du Sumismatic Chronide^ uvril 1842-jaiivior ISt*?, pp. 117120.)

(Read before ihe Nuuii^matic Society, Muy 26, 1842.)

» Eboracum ubi sedem olim habuisse fenititur I^odbrokii filii. Northumbria Hutem maximam partem crat a Nordmannis iiabitabi. » — Smja Hakomu\ c. III, p. 128.

Having rcad with much picasuro and instruction thc first part of Mr. Hawkin's paper on thc Cuerdale discovcry, I iind that that gentleman has bcen led to conclude that somo of thèse coins inscribed EBRAICE, are of French origin, and that they must bc attribuled to Evreux in Xormandy. I shall submit to that learned antiquary my doubts on bis identification. Thèse doubls havc arisen in my mind upon a carefui examination of the coins, whicb thc liberality of the Duchy of Lancaster lowards our Bibliothèque has enabled me to study. My mode of rcasoning shall be plain, and somewhat mathcmalical, and will be grounded upon the plates of Ruding and Kawkins.

On examining the very interesling coin of Etlielred (PI. I, n" 1 , of thc Numismatic Chronicle)^ it cannot be denied that it is an imitation of the denier of Louis le Débonnaire. The manner in which the lelter X, at the end of REX, has been placed, is in imitation of the Carlovingian type XPISTIAXA- RELIGIO. The coin communicated by Mr. Asshctou, with the name of (^iolwlf, is also an imitation of a foreign coin,

MO iNOTE ON SOSIE GOh\S

namely a Roman aurcus, a facl of which Mr. Hawkins has fetl thc importance.

By thèse examples, and many others which I necd qoL recount, ït is évident Ihat govemments, as well as the artists Ihemselves (in character with Ihe spiritof the limes), sometîmcs borrowed the designs of the coins of othcr states then in cuiTcncy. Now, il was a well-known propensity in invading nations, to imitatc the coins of the people they invaded. The Gaulson the banksof tliè Danube copicd the coins ofMaccdon, and other parts of Greece; the Fraiika, Goths, and other barbarians, copied the coins of the Romans, and the Arabs, the Persian and Byzantine coins. Why, thercfore, should the Northmen be exempt from this practice of imitation? Those who established Ihemselves in France bave left some spécimens of imitation of thc Carlovingian type, for the peuny witli thc temple eiToneously ascribed to Richard Liônheurt, was struck by Richard I (A.-D. 942-996). I trace a corrcsponding fact în the rude penny {Numismaiic Chronicle, pi, I, n° JO) which M. Hawkins says he « can scarcely considcr a genuîne coin of Alfred, struck by bis authority. » And adds : « It can scarcely bc admitted that coins so barbarous in exécution, and so blundered in thc inscriptions, could havc issued from the established royal mînts. » Thèse words an; my best argument; and if Mr. Hawkins agrées with me in thercading of the reverse, upon whîchi see themonogram of

one Canote, V + T disposed according to the Gatholic sign of

the cross, with the iiitcrcalations of thc letters REX., it wiil bu admittûd that an unknown sea-king, CNVT. REX, has îniitatcd Lhe coins of his contemporary king, Alfred. Another variely shows thc sanie monogram on thc reverse R of another monogram, KO S, wiih the legend around itEBR-

AICE CIVITA. This last coin is an imitation of thc St Peler's pennies given by Ruding. (PI. XII, n" 3, i, 8, 14). If we know notbing of thc Canute whosc name appears on some of