Edwardian Sterlings
Enigmatic Crockards and Pollards
These "enigmatic sterlings" are first discovered in the Gäsene and Marchienne hoards. In the 19th century, when the hoards were discovered and described, they struggled with the problems that some coins had obverse legends of Gui of Dampierre and Hainaut reverse legends attributing coins to John of Avesnes.
Chautard wrote a hole chapter about these "esterlins énigmatiques", dependent on the work of Reinier Chalon. They all had problems attributing these coins to a ruler. Constant hostilities between Gui and John would rule out a possible monetary collaboration, like Brabant and Looz did. The only option is that these strange coins are contempory forgeries, made by very skilled forgers.
It is difficult to assign these coins to a particular mint, but some pieces show similarities with coins from Kuince.
More info: J. Chautard - Imitations des monnaies au type esterlin.
Sterling, "Guy of Dampierre", "Mons", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 124var
Reign/Issue Authority: | "Guy of Dampierre" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Pollard type |
Mint: | "Mons" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 1,20 gr |
Diameter: | 19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 124var |
Catalogue #: | 0298 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing. |
Obverse legend: | +GmΛRChIOnΛmVI |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | MON ЄTΛ MON TЄS |
Extra info: | Variant with mΛRChIO instead of mΛRChO. |
Sterling, "Guy of Dampierre", "Namur", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 125/131
Reign/Issue Authority: | "Guy of Dampierre" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Pollard type |
Mint: | "Namur" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 1,00 gr |
Diameter: | 18x19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 125/131 |
Catalogue #: | 0314 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing. |
Obverse legend: | +GmΛRChIOnΛmVR |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | mO nЄT ΛnΛ mVR |
Extra info: | Provenance: Ex Collection Van Meert (Dinant), Ex Elsen 143 Lot 1083. |
Sterling, "Guy of Dampierre", "Mons", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 126
Reign/Issue Authority: | "Guy of Dampierre" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Pollard type |
Mint: | "Mons" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 0,98 gr |
Diameter: | 18 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 126 |
Catalogue #: | 0194 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing. |
Obverse legend: | +GmΛRChIOnΛmVR |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | MON ЄTΛ MON TЄS |
Extra info: | |
Sterling, "Guy of Dampierre", "Namur", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 130var
Reign/Issue Authority: | "Guy of Dampierre" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Pollard type |
Mint: | "Namur" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 0,82 gr |
Diameter: | 19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 130var |
Catalogue #: | 0103 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing, saltire on neck. |
Obverse legend: | +GmΛRChIOnΛmVR |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | mO nЄΛ nΛn mVR |
Extra info: | This variety is not mentioned in Mayhew and to me the only one known. |
Sterling, Guy of Dampierre, Namur (?), ca. 1296, Mayhew xxx
Reign/Issue Authority: | Guy of Dampierre |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Pollard type |
Mint: | Namur (?) |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296 |
Weight: | 1,10 gr |
Diameter: | 19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew xxx |
Catalogue #: | 0095 |
Obverse description: | Bare-headed bust facing with a saltire in the field on each side of the neck and an annulet on the neck. |
Obverse legend: | +MARChIOИAMVRC |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattée with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | GCO MЄS FLA DRЄ |
Extra info: | This sterling has a different face than standard issues and has an annulet on the neck, not mentioned in Mayhew. |
Sterling, "John II of Avesnes", "Maubeuge", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 150/137
Reign/Issue Authority: | "John II of Avesnes" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Crockard type |
Mint: | "Maubeuge" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 1,02 gr |
Diameter: | 18x19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 150/137 |
Catalogue #: | 0299 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing, wearing chaplet of roses. |
Obverse legend: | +ICOMЄShANONIЄ |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | MЄL BOD IЄN SIS |
Extra info: | An unlisted mule with enigmatic dies, probably the obverse of M150 and the reverse of M137. Provenance: Ex Elsen List 287, Lot 523. |
Sterling, "John II of Avesnes", "Mons", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 159c
Reign/Issue Authority: | "John II of Avesnes" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Crockard type |
Mint: | "Mons" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 0,84 gr |
Diameter: | 20 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 159c (this coin) |
Catalogue #: | 0310 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing, wearing chaplet of roses. |
Obverse legend: | +IOhSCOMЄShANONIЄ |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | MON ЄTΛ MON TЄS |
Extra info: | Provenance: Ex Collection Van Meert (Dinant), Ex Elsen 143 Lot 1029. |
Sterling, "John II of Avesnes", "Namur (?)", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew 162var
Reign/Issue Authority: | "John II of Avesnes" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Crockard type |
Mint: | "Namur (?)" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 0,67 gr |
Diameter: | 19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew 162var |
Catalogue #: | 0246 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing, wearing chaplet of roses. |
Obverse legend: | +IOhSCOMЄShΛNO |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | GCO MЄS FLΛ DRЄ |
Extra info: | Obverse of a John of Avesnes sterling, the reverse copies a Guy of Dampierre sterling. This is an unique variety. |
Sterling, "John II of Avesnes", "Maubeuge", ca. 1296-97, Chautard 36
Reign/Issue Authority: | "John II of Avesnes" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Crockard type |
Mint: | "Maubeuge" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 1,04 gr |
Diameter: | 19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Chautard 36 |
Catalogue #: | 0083 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing, wearing chaplet of roses. |
Obverse legend: | +ICOMЄShANONIЄ |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | IIЄL BOD IЄN SIS |
Extra info: | This type is a close copy of Mayhew 37. Mayhew could not find a copy of Chautard 36. |
Sterling, "John I of Brabant", "Hasselt (?)", ca. 1296-97, Mayhew xxx
Reign/Issue Authority: | "John I of Brabant" |
Denomination/Type: | Sterling, Crockard type |
Mint: | "Hasselt (?)" |
Issue date: | Ca. 1296-97 |
Weight: | 1,39 gr |
Diameter: | 19 mm |
Rarity: | R5 |
Reference: | Mayhew xxx |
Catalogue #: | 0137 |
Obverse description: | Bust facing, wearing chaplet of roses. |
Obverse legend: | +:I:DVX:LIMBVRGIЄ |
Reverse description: | Long cross pattee with three pellets in each angle. |
Reverse legend: | MOn ЄTA COM ITIS |
Extra info: | This coin has a Brabant obverse and Looz reverse. The style correspondents with other enigmatic issues. As far as I know an unique coin. |