The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

IRREGULAR COINAGES OF STEPHEN'S TIME. 115
reading CA is open to many interpretations. 5 I have
already said that Canterbury does not seem to be a
possible mint for the Empress to have used. I am
inclined to attribute this reading to the borough of
Calne in Wiltshire.
The coins are usually of low : weight those of which
I have obtained the weight vary from 15 J to 18-| grains.
The obverse inscriptions are more or less abbreviated
forms of Matildis Comitissae, Imperatricis
or Matildis
Impemtricis.
The coinage of the Empress may be assumed to have
commenced any time after her arrival in the autumn
of 1139. As the later limit of its issue I suggest the
second half of the year 1142 : my reasons for this I can
better explain when I deal with the coinage of her son.
| barones,
IV. COINAGE OF HENRY OF ANJOU.
(PLATE VII. 11-16.)
A coinage by Henry of Anjou, which was known as
of Hoveden
*' the Duke's money ", is mentioned by Roger
in the following passage :
"Anno gratiae MCXLIX, qui est xiin regni regis
Stephani,Henricus duxNormannorum venit in Angliam
cum magno exercitu, et reddita sunt ei castella multa
et munitiones quarnplures; et fecit monetam novam,
quam vocabant monetam ducis ; et non tantum ipse,
sed omnes potentes, tarn episcopi quam comites et
suam faciebant monetam. Sed ex quo dux
ille venit, plurimorum monetam cassavit."
5
The Canterbury coins of the PERER 1C issue read + PILLEM:
ON: CANP: which does not, I think, admit of more than one
interpretation.
12