On 10 July 2021 the British Numismatic Society and Royal Numismatic Society will host their annual joint conference, to be held in person at the Ashmolean Museum and online via Zoom. This year’s conference tackles an appropriate theme on the fiftieth anniversary of UK decimalisation: the reform of currency systems, past and present.
There’s an impressively broad range of papers, covering coin reforms from antiquity to the present day. I’ll be speaking in the afternoon session about the reform that killed the medieval English currency: the Tudor Great Debasement. The talk will include new insights from projects that I’m currently working on, including a synthesis of Tudor coin hoards from England and Wales, and of course the Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles volume on Chris Comber’s magnificent collection of Tudor coins.
Registration is now open, with in-person tickets costing £30 and online tickets costing £10. If you’re a student, online tickets are free! So why not book today – just follow the instructions on the Eventbrite page.
In recent months I’ve been working with Museums Worcestershire to unlock the hidden histories of empire and slavery that lie within their numismatic collections. On 11 May I’m giving a bite-size online talk on this topic, highlighting some of the fascinating stories and objects that we’ve uncovered during the project.
Nathaniel Buck’s Prospect of the City of Worcester, 1732 (public domain via British Library)
Registration is free, so why not come along? To book your place, follow the links on the Museums Worcestershire website!
The new issue of Coin Collector Magazine has just been published, featuring an article by me on the coinage of Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth of England. It’s lavishly illustrated with some stunning gold and silver coins, so why not take a look? Copies are available from the publisher’s website, PocketMags, or all good newsagents near you.
Jetton from St James’s Palace
Secondly, a new edition of London Archaeologist is now available, featuring a great article by PCA’s Stacey Harris on a watching brief at St James’s Palace – curiously enough, the very place where Charles I resided before his execution in 1649. Anyway, I mention it not only because it’s a nice report on fascinating site, but because the star find is one that I reported on: an unusual Romulus and Remus jetton of Hans Kraunwinckel, dated 1601. If you’re interested, do check out the publisher’s website!
For a full list of my publications to date, check out the ‘Publications’ page on this website: here.
It’s fair to say that 2020 has been a difficult and unusual year for the heritage sector. In the face of an ongoing pandemic, we’ve all had to find new ways of delivering high-quality work while remaining safe and healthy. Fortunately, heritage professionals are an adaptable and resilient bunch, and much work has continued under new conditions. Unfortunately, however, some activities and projects have had to be postponed until conditions improve.
In times like these, it’s important to celebrate the successes we make. So, in this spirit, I want to take a few minutes to reflect on this year’s achievements, and to look forward to new prospects in 2021.
Janus Bifrons on a Republican as: one head looks back, the other looks forward.
Celebrating achievements in 2020
During 2020 I have worked on some fascinating projects with a range of professional clients and partners. Much of this work has involved the identification and analysis of coins found during development-led archaeological fieldwork: everything from Roman coins from East Yorkshire, to 18th-century tokens from Greater London. For other projects, however, I have turned my attention to material in museum collections. In December, for example, I started working on a new project with Museums Worcestershire, unlocking stories of empire and slavery hidden within their numismatic collections. It has been a great privilege to work on such a diverse body of material from all over!
Archaeology and numismatics both depend on a regular supply of new information and knowledge. For this reason, I’m pleased to have produced a number of new research publications in 2020. Among other things, these have included studies of antiquarian coin finds from London, Shropshire, and Worcestershire, significant new excavation coins from Saxon Lundenwic, and a round-up of recent medieval and post-medieval coin hoards reported through the Treasure Act 1996. Back in September I also had the pleasure of sharing some of my research into coin hoards with the wider public, making a video presentation for the online Festival of Coins.
Finally, I was deeply honoured to receive the British Numismatic Society’s Blunt Prize, in recognition of my ‘considerable output, energy and commitment to British numismatics’. Many thanks to the Society for this wonderful accolade.
What’s coming in 2021?
I look forward to sharing some exciting new work in 2021. On the publication front, I have some important articles and book chapters in the pipeline: these include an extended study of coin hoards from medieval settlements, which will soon appear in the Journal of ArchaeologicalNumismatics, plus a review of some forgotten Tudor gold hoards for the next British Numismatic Journal. On top of these, I have several reports on excavation coins due out over the next 12 months. Plenty of stuff to wet your numismatic whistle – do check the ‘News‘ page for further details.
For those of you of a West Midlands bent, I also have some speaking engagements lined up. On 8 February I will be presenting a lecture to the Worcestershire Archaeological Society, exploring the contribution of coin finds to the study of Roman military activity. Not long after, I’ll be giving a bite-size talk at Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery on the rise and fall of Atlantic slavery, as seen through coins, tokens, and medals in their collection. Given the current circumstances, both will be virtual presentations streamed online. More details will be circulated closer to the time.
As ever, I look forward to providing high-quality, cost-effective archaeological and numismatic services for interested clients. In 2020 I have completed projects for a range of commercial units, community groups, and museums, and I am excited to continue this work in 2021. So, if you have any project enquiries – small or large, near or far – be sure to get in touch.
Many thanks to all the clients, colleagues, and friends that I’ve worked with during this unusual year, and best wishes to all for a happy 2021!
Just a quick post to say that the latest issue of Coin Collector magazine (Winter 2020) contains a short interview with me, exploring aspects of my research, work, and pathway to numismatics. In case you’ve ever wondered what drew me to small, round, metal things, why not have a read? Copies are available from the publisher’s website, PocketMags, or all good newsagents near you.
The 2019 Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society have just been released. This year’s offering is a treasure-trove of London archaeology, presenting new results from the Roman cemetery at Harper Road, Southwark, re-analysis of building stone from the Tower of London, and major new evidence for Lundenwic’s Middle Saxon waterfront from the Adelphi Building, Westminster.
This last article, authored by PCA’s excellent Dougie Killock, includes my report on the coins from the site. Remarkably, these include what may well be London’s earliest medieval coin: a mid-7th century pale gold shilling (‘thrymsa’) from a secure waterfront context. A gem of a coin from a gem of a site – no wonder the editors chose it as the cover image!
Why not have a read? To purchase a copy, get in touch with the Society via their website.
For a full list of my publications to date, check out the ‘Publications’ page on this website: here.
The latest volume of the Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society is now hot off the press. This issue contains fascinating articles on prehistoric and Roman archaeology in the Vale of Evesham, the Celtic place names of Worcestershire, and a range of historical subjects, as well as an article by me reassessing some eighteenth-century finds of Roman coins from Worcester. These coins are real treasures that have been hidden in plain sight, and have significant implications for the archaeology of the city at the beginning and end of the Roman period.
Why not have a read? To purchase a copy, get in touch with the Society via their website.
For a full list of my publications to date, check out the ‘Publications’ page on this website: here.
Named after the pioneering Anglo-Saxon numismatist Christopher Evelyn Blunt (1904-1987), the Blunt Prize is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the study of the coins, tokens, banknotes and medals of Britain and the former British Empire. This year, the BNS singled me out for my ‘considerable output, energy and commitment to British numismatics’, and drew attention to my ongoing work on the remarkable collection of Elizabethan coins assembled by the late Chris Comber.
The list of previous recipients is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of numismatics and economic history, and it is a great honour to join their ranks. Many thanks to the Council of the British Numismatic Society for this most generous award!
I’ve just received my copy of the 2020 Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society, the annual journal of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society. This issue contains intriguing articles on excavations at Frogmore Hall, early 19th century church restorations, and a short note by me on an Elizabethan gold coin from the Madeley Court coin hoard. As it happens, this is quite an important coin, which forces us to reconsider the circumstances in which this important Stuart-era hoard was buried.
Why not have a read? To purchase a copy, get in touch with the Society via their website.
For a full list of my publications to date, check out the ‘Publications’ page on this website: here.
As part of Coin Collecting Magazine’s virtual Festival of Coins (September to October 2020), I recently made a short video exploring the reasons behind the assembly and deposition of coin hoards in the middle ages. It’s now available online in full, so if you’ve got some time to spare, why not check it out? Click this link to view.
Coin hoard from Ryther (North Yorkshire), c. 1487 (Image courtesy of York Museums Trust :: https://yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk :: CC BY-SA 4.0)
Festival participants can also now claim an exclusive 30% discount on my book, Coin hoarding in medieval England and Wales, c.973-1544, courtesy of the good folks at BAR Publishing. To find out more about this offer, click here.
