STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY ii35-1154 By R, P. MACK HENRY I died oil December 1st 1135 leaving his daughter Matilda as the sole representative of the legitimate line of the Dukes of Normandy and with therefore some claim to the throne of England. But Matilda was not popular with the barons and on Henry's death they elected Theobald, the eldest son of Henry I's sister Adele. However, Stephen, Theobald's younger brother, on hearing of this crossed over to England and had himself crowned King actually while the elections were taking place in Normandy. STEPHEN1 (1135-54) Stephen was an attractive personality and popular in both England and Normandy. He was brave and generous, his faults being a certain lack of firmness and strength of character and uncertainty in making decisions in difficult circumstances. He married Matilda, daughter of Eustace of Boulogne. Throughout his reign there was considerable turmoil and confusion and when the Empress Matilda came to England in 1139 to try and obtain the throne, with the help of her half-brother, Robert earl of Gloucester, there was more or less open warfare between the two sides, the Empress being supported in the north by her uncle, David I of Scotland. During this period Stephen, who with the help of his brother Henry, Bishop of Winchester, had the support of the church and controlled most of the wealth of the country, held the eastern part of England whilst the Empress with headquarters at Bristol and Gloucester controlled most of the west. It was at this time that many barons raised their own little armies, fortified their castles and joined in the struggle purely for selfish reasons, often plundering their neighbours and supporting whichever side they thought was winning. Many towns and villages suffered heavily and there was much brutality. On February 2nd 1141 the battle of Lincoln was fought and Stephen taken prisoner. The Empress Matilda was then formally elected Queen. The coronation was to have taken place at Westminster but was delayed because the citizens of London were demanding the release of the King. About this time, Queen Matilda, Stephen's wife, with the help of William of Ypres, raised an army in East Anglia and Kent and in June marched on London and then on to Winchester where she laid siege to the forces of earl Robert and the Empress. By September the Empress found her position in Winchester untenable and retreated to Gloucester but earl Robert was not so fortunate and he was captured at Stockbridge, some nine miles from Winchester. On November 1st 1141 Stephen was released and exchanged for earl Robert. For the next few years it seems that Stephen's position in the country was somewhat improved, due partly to reports of his having been ill-treated whilst a prisoner. But the country was still in a very unsettled state and fighting continued at intervals. Earl Robert died in 1147 and after this the Empress Matilda took no further part in the struggle and left England for good in 1148. When her son, Henry of Anjou, came to England in January 1153 at the request of the beleagured garrison in Wallingford Castle he met with considerable success and being joined by the earls of Chester and Leicester marched in 1 English Historical Documents vol. ii, 1042-1189. A. L. Poole, Oxford History of England, Domesday to Magna Carta 1087-1216, 567 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 triumph through the midlands. Stephen, having been defeated at Malmesbury, found there was little he could do to stop him and when his eldest son Eustace died in October 1153 he was no doubt glad of the opportunity for a compromise and Henry was made his successor and heir. Stephen died at Dover on October 25th 1154 1. In both his standard work English Coins2 and his British Museum Catalogue ('Norman Kings') Brooke has divided the regular coinage of this reign into seven main types. In the following pages I have adhered to Brooke's numbered classification but it is doubtful whether three of these types, and possibly a fourth, were in fact regular substantive issues. The system of changing the type every three years seems to have broken down during the anarchy of the Civil War period and there is good evidence for supposing that the first type was not changed until 1141. The last type (Typo 7) probably commenced about the time of the cessation of hostilities and it continued to be struck after Stephen's death in 1154 until the inception of the new coinage of Henry II in 1158. At some time during the intervening years between 1141 and 1153 the coins classified by Brooke as Types 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were struck. Of these the surviving specimens of Types 3, 4 and 5 are of the greatest rarity and the mints, so far as identifiable, are confined to the East Midlands from which it seems almost certain that these 'types' were not regular issues but should be classified as 'Local Variants'. No coin of the London mint is known of these three 'types' which is not surprising considering the poor standard of their execution and die engraving. Type 6 too is very rare but this is in all probability a substantive type. Although struck at widely separated mints these were all in royalist territory and the workmanship of the coins is good. There remains Type 2 and whilst hesitating to suggest a run of ten to twelve years for a single type there is evidence that this could well have been the case. However the whole period is so confusing and so wrapped in mystery, particularly in the matter of chronology, that for the present we must be content to wait until further evidence is forthcoming in the shape of finds or, better still, a new hoard which would throw fresh light on the intriguing and difficult coinage of the reign. In the following pages in Types 1, 2 and 7 a list of the known mints with moneyers is given, with readings. In Types 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the irregular and baronial coinage an attempt has been made to produce a corpus of all the known coins. This is as complete as the writer could make it but there are bound to be omissions. An exception to the above is the irregular coins of Type 1 with meaningless legends, Nos 198-205, and some of the Scottish Border coins when only a few representative pieces are included. In the list of coins the following abbreviations are used:— B.M.: British Museum. Nottingham: Nottingham Castle Museum. Oxford: The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Edinburgh: National Museum of Antiquities, Edinburgh. Cambridge: The Fitzwiiliam Museum, Cambridge. Chatsworth: The Duke of Devonshire's collection at Chatsworth, Derby. An asterisk indicates a coin is illustrated. References are as follows:— NC: Numismatic Chronicle. BNJ: British Numismatic Journal. 1 See also W. J. Andrew's 'A Numismatic 2 G. C. Brooke, English Coins. Revised edition, History of the Reign of Stephen', BNJ, vols. 1950. vi, viii, x. 40 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 BMC: British Museum Catalogue, Norman Kings, 1916. Brooke: E-nglish Coins, revised edition 1950 by G. C. Brooke. Burns: The Coinage of Scotland, by E. Burns, 1887. Stewart: The Scottish Coinage by I. H. Stewart, 1955. Thompson: Inventory of British Coin Hoards by J. D. A. Thompson. The following are the coins of the reign. MULE STEPHEN TYPE 1 and HENRY I TYPE 15. Obv. Similar to Stephen Type 1, crowned bust to the right with sceptre in right hand. Rev. Similar to Henry I Type 15, quadrilateral on cross fleury. LONDON MINT 1. O. + SHEENS R. + AXJGAR ON LVND * (o) B.M. 24-5 g. (6) B.M. 21-4 g. (c) Mack ex Baldwin (corroded) 2T2 g. Five of these coins have been recorded, all from the the same dies 1, but two cannot now be traced. They are made of copper plated with silver and are contemporary forgeries 2. Information concerning the provenance of the B.M. coins was destroyed by enemy action during the war. MULE HENRY I TYPE 15 and STEPHEN TYPE 1. Obv. Similar to Henry I Type 15. Rev. Similar to Stephen Type 1. 2. O. + HENRICVS R. Illegible * B.M. Erom the South Kyme find 22-1 g. TYPE 1 (c.1135 to c.1141). Obverse. Bust of the King to the right, crowned and diademed and holding in his right hand a sceptre in front of his face. The inscription, which reads either STIEENE, STIEFNE REX, STIEFNE R, STIEFNE RE, STIFNE, STIFNE R, STIFN REX, STEFANVS R, is placed around, generally divided by beaded inner and outer circles. The inner circle, which is normally only partial, is omitted on quite a number of dies of both London and the provincial mints. On these coins, some of which have an annulet on the King's shoulder, the face is often larger and the bust less finely executed 3. Reverse. Cross moline, the claws joined so as to make an eight foil; in each angle a fleur- de-lis springing from the junction of two claws. An annulet is sometimes placed at the end of each limb. The name of the moneyer and mint placed around between two beaded circles The lettering is very similar to that of the last type of Henry I (BMC Type 15). Average weight about 21-5 grains. This type is often referred to as the 'Watford Type' on account ol the large number, well over six hundred, which were found near Watford, Herts., in 1818. In the Dartford (1825), Sheldon (1867), Linton (1883), Nottingham (1880) and South Kyme finds, coins of the last type of Henry I (BMC Type 15) were found in company with 1 BNJ, iii, p. 288. 3 E.g. no. 22e. 2 NC, 1901, pp. 283-284. 41 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 this type of Stephen. Therefore there can be no doubt that this was the first type of the reign. It is quite possible that this issue continued to be struck until 1141 but owing to the confused state of the country (and of the coinage) at the time of the anarchy it is impossible to be sure of the date of its termination. The following are the recorded mints and moneyers for Type 1. The fullest reading is given in each case, but readings vary with different dies. 3. BEDFORD ]ON BETFO- 4. BRISTOL (А) + FAEDEIN :ON :BRIST: (б) + G VKD AN :ON :BR: (c) + TVRChlL :ON IBRIST: 5. BURY ST. EDMUNDS (А) + ACEL :0N :SANT (Б) + GILEBERT:ON:EDM or SA (c) -f- IVN:ON:[ ]MV 6. CANTERBURY (А) + AEDPABD :ON:CANTE (Б) -F AL[AAR ]ON:CANP (c) + GOD1IESE:ON:CA: (D) + IVN:ON:CANTPA (e) + BODBEHT :0N :CA: (/) + PIELE:LM:ON:CANT (g) + PVLFPINE:ON:CANB (H) + PVX.FRIC :ON :CAN 7. CARDIFF + PILXJEM :ON :CARDI From London made dies as distinct from tho locally made dies used at Carlisle. CARLISLE (See Scottish Border Coins) 279. -F EREBALD:ON:CARD: 277. + WILE ALME: ON: CARD 282. + ODARD :ON[CARD:] (probably) All from locally made dies. 8. CASTLE RISING1 + BERTOLD :ON:RI 9. CHESTER (А) -J- ALMER :0N :CES : (Б) + RAVENSPERT :ON :CE : (c) + THVRBER:ON:CEST (d) -(- WAXTER or PALTR:ON:CESTR: 10. CHICHESTER + GODPINE :ON :CICES: 11. COLCHESTER (A) + AX,FPINE:ON:COLIE * (6) + EDPARD :ON:COLE (C) + SAFARE:ON:COL 1 BNJ, XX, p. 117. 42 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 12. DURHAM (A) + FOBVND :0N:DVNI: (b) -f HENRI :ON:DVN[ 281. 'EDEN' (Carlisle?) + EEEBA1D :OJf EDEN: Possibly struck at Carlisle and issued at Edinburgh. (See Scottish Border Coins). 13. EXETER (A) + AILRIC :ON :EXCES : (B) -F ALGAR :0N :EXC (c) + BRIHTPION :EXCE: 14. GLOUCESTER (a) + ALFPiNE:ON:GOLPE * (6) + GILLEBERT:ON:GLO (c) + RALF:ON:GLOECE (d) + PIBERT:OJST:GLOPE 15. HASTINGS (A) + RODBERT:ON hA (b) + SAPlNE:ON:hAST (c) + PENSTAN:ON-;hAS 16. HEREFORD (А) + EDRICVS :ON :HEREF : (б) + SIBERN: ON :hER (c) + PITRIC :0N :hEREFD or * (d) + PICRICE:ON:hERE or * (e) + PICRIC:ON:hERE Hereford was one of the Angevin strongholds early in the reign but in 1138 it capitulated to King Stephen. Being cut off from London, the moneyers, of whom there seem to be two or three working at the same time, had to make their own dies and some of their coins are from very curious 'local' dies, notably those by the moneyer Picric, which have a particularly grotesque representation of the King. Later in the reign, probably about the year 1143 and after a memorable siege, Hereford was recaptured by the Angevin party and Henry of Anjou struck coins there. 17. IPSWICH (А) + AEDGAR:ON:GIPE (Б) + EDMVND :ON:GIPE (c) + OSBERN :ON :GIP (d) + PAIEN:ON:GIPE 18. LAUNCESTON + PILLEM:ON:LANSA 19. LEICESTER (А) + SAMAR:ON:LEREC: (Б) + SIMVN:ON:LERE: 43 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 20. LEWES (o) + hEEBEVi :ON :LEPE : (B) + OSBEBN:ON:LEPE: (C) + PILLEM:ON:LEPE: 21. LINCOLN (A) + ABNPI:ON:[ ]o (b) + GLADEPIN:ON:NICO (c) OSLAC:ON:NICO or L (d) -F- EAPVLF :ON :NIC or BAWVLF:ON:LIN (E) -F BEINALD:ON:NICO (/) + SIGPAED :0N:NIC0 or SIGVABD :0N:NIC0 or SIWABD :ON :LIN or SIGVAED :ON:LIN The earliest reading of mint name is NICOLE, later spellings being LINCOL. 22. LONDON (a) + ADELABD :ON:LVN (b) + ALFRED :ON:LVN or + ALVERED :ON:LVN: (c) + ALPINE :ON ,'LVNDEN (d) + ALGAR :MAN :ON :LV (E) + ALISANDER :ON :LV (/) + BALDEPIN :ON :LVN (?) + BRICMAR :ON :LV: (h) DERBEMAN:ON:LV or + DEREMAN:0N:LVN: U) + ESTMVND :ON :LVN (k) + GODBICVS:ONLVN or + GODEIC:ON:LV (I) + LBFRED :ON:LVND : or LIEFEED :ON:LVND : (M) + EODBEET :ON :LV (n) + ROGIEB:ON:LV: (o) + SMEAPIN:ON:LV or SMEPINE:ON:LVN: (P) + TOVIION :LVNDE (?) + PVLFPINE :ON :LV : The Abbey of Reading was entitled to one moneyer at London. This privilege had been granted in Henry I's reign in lieu of the grant of a mint and moneyer actually at Reading and Stephen had confirmed it on his accession. The abbey coins may be recognised by having an annulet on the crown and on the king's shoulder (No. 22(o)). The moneyers are SMEAPINE and LIEEEED and the king is styled STEEANVS R. These two moneyers apparently used the same obverse die, with high arched crown. 23. NOETHAMPTON + PAEN :0N :NOB1IAN 24. NORWICH (a) + AEDSTAN:NORP: (b) + AILWI :ON :NOBPIC: (O) + ALFPABD :ON:NOE (d) + ETREI :OK :NORPI: (o) + ETSTAN :ON :NORPI: (/) + EVSTACE :ON RNORPI: (3) + GODPINE :ON :NOE (h) + OTEECHE :ON :NOEPIC: (J) + sihTBic :ON :NOBPI (k) + SVNEMAN :ON :NOB (i) + SPEDMAN :ON :NOB (m) + WALTIEB or PALTIEE:ON:NOBP (») + PILLEM:0N:N0EPI or PILLELM:ON:NOB: 44 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 25. NOTTINGHAM + SPEIN:ON:SNOT: or SNOTIE: 26. OXFORD * (a) + GAIIAN :ON :OXEN (B) + RAPVLF :ON :OXE : (c) + SPETIG:ON:OXEN 27. PEMBROKE * + GILPATRIC:ON:PAN 28. PEVENSEY ( ?) -F HERV[ ]ON:PEV South Kyme No. 203. Presumably this mint and not Lewes but the reading is not certain. 29. SALISBURY (?) + STANGHVN :ON :SA South Kyme Nos 204 and 298. Presumably the Type 7 Salisbury moneyer STANVNG but this is by no means certain. 30. SHAFTESBURY (А) + RICARD:ON:SAFTE: (Б) -F SAGRIM:ON:SA: 31. SHREWSBURY (А) + RAVENSART:ON:SCR (Б) + RODBERT :ON :SROB : or SCROB The coins by Ravensart are from locally made dies. 32. SOUTHWARK (a) + ALPINE :ON:SVD: (b) + TVRChiL:oN:svD: (c) + PVLFPOLD:ON:SV or WLPOLD:ON:SV: I 33. STAFFORD * + GODRIC :ON:STAFO: 34. STAMFORD (a) + LEFSI :ON :3TANTO: (b) + SIPARD:ON:STA 35. SUDBURY (А) + GOD[ ] ON SDB (Б) + GOIMER:ON:SYDB (c) -f- SIGAR:ON:SVT 36. TAUNTON + ALFRED: ON STAN 37. THETFORD * (A) + BALDEPIN :ON :TETE (6) -F GEFFREI :ON 1TETFE (C) -F- ODDE:ON:TETFOR or + 0DE:0N:TETF0RT or TET:FORT 45 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 38. WARWICK (А) + EDRED:ON:PARPI: (Б) + EVERARD :ON :PAR : (c) + LEFRIC:ON:WAB: 39. WILTON (a) + FALChE:ON:PILTVN (b) + TOMAS :ON :PILTVN or TVMAS:ON:PILTVN 40. WINCHESTER (a) + ALPOLD:ON:PIN: (b) + GEFREI:ON:PINC: (c) + KIPPIG or HIPPIG:ON:piNC: (D) + ROGIRVS:ON:PIN: (e) + ROGIER:ON:PINCES (/) + SAIET:ON:PINCE : to) + SIPARD:ON:PNC: or + SIWARD:ON:PINCE: (H) + STIEFNE:oN:PIN: 41. WORCESTER (a) + ALARD :ON :PIREC (B) + GODRIC:ON:PIREC: (c) + PVLFRIC:ON:PIREC: 42. YORK (a) + AVTGRIM :ON :EVER: (b) + LAISIG :ON :EVERPI : (C) + MARTIN :ON :EVER: (d) + TVRSTAN :ON :EVER : (*) + VLF:ON:EVEREIC or (/) + OTBVRN :ON :EVER : + STAN CHIL: ON :EV to) Many of the coins of Type 1 have the moneyer's or mint name apparently hammered out. This was probably done to disguise the authority issuing the coins in difficult times when the moneyers were doubtful whether to support King or Empress. This is particularly noticeable in some coins of Stamford, Lincoln and Nottingham, which sometimes also hare the King's name obliterated. On some coins the initial cross on the reverse is out of line with the reverse design. This occurs in other types as well. Corns OF TYPE 1 WITH OBVERSE READING PERERIC. When Henry I died in December, 1135, there was some confusion in the country as to who would succeed to the throne ancl Stephen's claim was not really fully substantiated until he got the support of the Church and his election confirmed by the Pope early in 1136. During this period of uncertainty the coins with the obverse inscription PERERIC, to which no definite meaning could be attached, may have been struck 1. All these coins are of good silver and weight and there is no reason to suppose that they were other than the true coinage of the 1 For further discussions on the meaning of the NC, 1915, Proceedings, p. 37, NC, 1915, pp. 109ff, PERERIC legend see BMC, pp. Ixxxiiiff, NC 1850, but all are unconvincing, pp. 165ff, NC, 1896, p. 64, BNJ, vol. vii, pp. 81ff, 46 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 realm. That the coins were issued early in the reign is confirmed by finds 1. There were six Pereric coins from the South Kyme find associated with Henry I type 15 and Stephen type 1, two from the Watford, also with coins of Henry I, one from the Nottingham, one from the Sheldon and two from the Linton. In the Linton find they were associated with forty pennies, cut halfpennies and farthings of Stephen type 1 and thirty-nine pennies, cut halfpennies and farthings of Stephen type 2. The use of the early form of the spelling of NICOLE for Lincoln instead of the later LINO and the early spelling of the Lincoln moneyers RAPVLE and SIPARD instead of the later RAWVLF and SIGVARD also confirm the issue as being an early one. An alternative suggestion is that the Pereric coins were struck during the captivity of Stephen between 2nd February and 2nd November 1141. During this period there was much confusion and uncertainty all over the country and many barons in consequence supported the side whose fortunes at the moment seemed most favourable. The moneyers were in an extremely difficult position as they were compelled by law to place their names and place of mintage on the reverse of the coins they issued, thereby publicly proclaiming which side they supported. Thus, if a moneyer openly placed his name on the reverse of a coin, the obverse of which bore the name and title of the Empress, should King Stephen at some later date be released and regain the throne, a hope which was undoubtedly borne by many, that moneyer would be held to be a traitor to the King. It seems possible therefore that a moneyer who did not want to commit himself may have deliberately substituted PERERIC for the King's name, a meaningless word at which neither side could take offence and perhaps bearing some resemblance to both partisans names and titles. But as already stated most of the known Pereric coins are of standard weight and fineness and all the dies appear to have come from a central distributing authority, presumably London. It therefore seems unlikely that they were struck after the outbreak of the Civil War when much of the country was divided and in a state of turmoil, particularly as Bristol, which was at this time in the hands of the Empress Matilda, appears as one of the mints, and the first of these two suggestions seems more likely to be the correct one. But the word PERERIC which sometimes has the letter M following it must remain as unintelligible to us today as it no doubt was intended to be in the days of King Stephen. COINS OF TYPE 1 WITH OBVERSE READING PERERIC, &C. The following coins have been recorded. BRISTOL MINT 43. 0. + PERERIC R. + TVRC1IIL:ON:BRIS * (a) ex Grantley 1303, Murdoch 265, Montagu II 361, Marsham 274. (6) ex Roth II 158, Toplia From the Nottingham find 18-0 g. CANTERBURY MINT 44. 0. + PERERIC: R. + PILLEM:ON:CANP: * (a) BMC 232 21-4 g. * (b) Mack ex Lockett 1168, Roth I 144, Montagu II 362, Kennard From the Linton find 18-0 g. (a) and (b) are from the same pair of dies. 1 The hoards are discussed in detail later see pp. 101 ff. 47 STEPHEN AND THE ANARCHY .1135-1154 LINCOLN MINT 45. 0. + PERERIC: R. + RAPVLF :ON :NICO : * (a) BMC 233 ex Cove-Jones 316 20-8 g. * (b) ex Mossop, Grantley 1304, Rashleigh 633 19-2 g. (c) Oxford ex Marshall 80, Roth II 159 20-6 g. (d) Mack ex Youde. From the South Kyme find 21-3 g. (e) Present whereabouts unknown. From the South Kyme find 21-3 g. (/) ex Mossop. From the South Kyme find 21-7 g. (g) Hill ex Drabble 998, B.M. Duplicates. From the South Kyme find 20-1 g. (7i) Stewart. Cut half-penny All these coins are from the same pair of dies. 46. 0. + PERERICM: R. + SIPARD :ON:NICO : (а) Mack ex Ryan 921, Roth I 145 21-3 g. (б) Hill ex Drabble 999, B.M. Duplicates. From the South Kyme find 21-1 g. * (c) B.M. ex Lockett 2971, Carlyon-Britton 1509, Rashleigh 634 20-8 g. * (d) Chatsworth. From the Sheldon find 19-0 g. (e) B.M. From the South Kyme find 21-8 g. * (/) ex Mossop, Drabble 722 18-6 g. * (g) ex Roth II 158 22-0 g. All these coins are from the same pair of dies. LONDON MINT 47. 0. + PERERIC: R. + ALFRED :ON:LVN. * ex Roth I 143 From the same obverse die as GODRICVS coins of LONDON. 48. 0. + PERERIC: R. + GODRICVS :ONLV (a) BMC 234, ex Rashleigh colln. From the Watford find 22-4 g. * (b) BMC 234a ex Pierpont Morgan, Sir J. Evans 22-7 g. * (c) ex Ryan 922, Reynolds 73, Kennard From the Linton find 22-0 g. * (d) Ballingal ex Lockett 1169, Watters 184, Rashleigh 635. From the Watford find 22-6 g. (e) ex Grantley 1305, Murdoch 266, Montagu II 363. a, b, c and d are from tho same pair of dies. STAMFORD MINT 49. 0. + PERERIC: R. + LEFSI:ON:STANC: ]:ON:STA * (a) ex Roth II 160 18-0 g. (b) The Hon. Ralph Assheton WINCHESTER MINT 50. 0. + PERERIC: R. + GEFREI:ON[PI]NC: ex Drabble 723, Roth I 145 16-0 g. MULE STEPHEN TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2. Obverse. Similar to type 1. Reverse. Similar to type 2.