Civil War Issue
NORMAN, Civil War. Uncertain issues. Circa 1139-1154. AR Penny (19.5mm, 1.12 g, 11h). Cross Moline (Watford) type (BMC i) variant. Norwich mint; Ælfric, moneyer. + S[TIEF]NE:, crowned bust right, holding lis-tipped scepter / [+ EL]FRIC : ON : NOR[...], cross moline, with inward-facing fleur in each angle. Mack –; EMC 1200.0166; North –; SCBC 1325. VF, cleaned and a touch ragged. Very rare.
Ex Alan Williams Collection, purchased from Mike Vosper, November 2000.
This coin was originally thought to have an uncrowned bust on the obverse, but a close inspection reveals that it likely has a crown of a very rudimentary style, which is confirmed by the presence of two similar coins from this moneyer in the EMC, 1200.0166 and 2000.0077. These coins have a distinctly unusual bust style compared to the vast majority of Watford type coins struck at Norwich, though their epigraphy and reverse type are quite normal. Interestingly, another example was recently found from a different moneyer, Rodbert (EMC 2016.0182 = Coin Register 2017, 101 [“pelleted crown variant”]). Neither Ælfric nor Rodbert are recorded among Stephen’s Norwich moneyers by Mack, and they are also not listed in Allen (BNJ 2012) for Stephen type 1, or the reigns of William I or II. This suggests that these issues are products of the civil war period, and perhaps are the product of an irregular mint imitating the Norwich mint signature?
