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The Numismatic Circular Published since 1892December 2008 Volume CXVI Number 6The staff of Spink would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their continued businessand wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Important Information for all SubscribersPlease be advised of the following changes to The Numismatic Circular in 2009. The number of issues will be reduced from 6 to 5 and they will appear atthe start of the months of March, May, July, September and December. The overall content will remain roughly the same, therefore no change in thesubscription rate is proposed as the costs of production and mailing have actually increased in recent times.ContentsThe First Silver Coins Struck at the Bristol Mint During theEnglish Civil War in 1643 D. N. Holt and R. Lyall 295Portraits of Greek Coinage R. J. Eaglen 296A Lead Impression of a French Coin from SomersetRichard Kelleher 297On the Duration of the Late Saxon and Norman CoinagePeriods I. David Brown and William N. Clarke 298A Rare Bronze Coin of Theodosius IINikolaus Schindel 299Variations on a Theme – ESC510 Malcolm Lewendon 300A George III ‘Cartwheel’ Twopence Counterstamped withthe Mark of Two London Silversmiths –A Correction Robert Sharman 301Book Review 301Our list of numismatic items and books offered for salefollows on page 302The First Silver Coins Struck at theBristol Mint During the English CivilWar in 1643D. N. Holt and R. LyallThe City of Bristol was taken by the Royalist forces on 26th July1643. The King had already established a Mint at hisheadquarters in Oxford in January 1642/3 under the jointwarden ship of Sir William Parkhurst and Thomas Bushell.In August/September 1643 Thomas Bushell was ordered toestablish a branch mint at Bristol. This is well documented invarious publications 1 and outlining the history of the mint is notthe purpose of this article.Out of necessity, the first coins to be struck at Bristol werehalfcrowns and shillings. There has been debate about theidentification of the first products to be struck at the new mint.Bushell undoubtedly took dies with him from Oxford to enablehim to start striking coins as soon as the mint was established inBristol Castle.Lieut.-Colonel H.W. Morrieson F.S.A. carried out a detailedanalysis in 1929 of the die types in his BNJ (xviii) paper “Thecoinage of Bristol 1643-1645” Further dies and die combinationshave subsequently come to light.HalfcrownsMorrieson attributed his Oxford 1643 Obverses A and F to theBristol Mint (Obverses A & B of 1643) as these two obverses werecombined with reverses with large crude style plumes (see Fig.1)unlike those found at Oxford 2 .Fig. 1 ReverseFig. 2 ObverseObverse A (see Fig.2) is also found combined with severalOxford reverses. Some of these may have been used at that mintand some taken to Bristol.Morrieson also mentions two reverse dies which he numbers15 and 16 in his Oxford paper. These are particularly crudelyengraved. Morrieson attributed these to Oxford because thelegends commence at 3.o’clock and there are lines in between thedeclaration. Reverse 15 (illustrated by Morrieson in his BNJ (xvi)paper “The coinage of Oxford 1642-1646” Plate IV 49.) has theunusual spelling REL(I)G which is probably a die sinker’s error.The reverse of an A16 halfcrown which is in the collection ofone of the authors (Ex. Adams (Lot 177) Spink Auction 177) isphotographed below (Fig. 3).Fig.3HalfcrownreverseShillingsIn the case of the shillings only one 1643 Oxford obverse die wastaken to Bristol by Bushell. Initially, Morrieson listed this asOxford obverse C but later attributed it to Bristol as obverse A ofthat mint.The die taken to Bristol is distinct in that there is a flaw in thefield above the orb on the king’s crown and another just inside theinner circle by the V in CAROLVS. Again, Morrieson linked this toBristol as the several reverse dies, known at the time of hisoriginal article, used with this obverse were of Bristol type, onehaving the mint mark Br in monogram.In 2002 a coin struck from the obverse die was offered for salewhich was coupled with a true 1643 Oxford reverse (Morrieson,reverse 2). This may have been used at Oxford but it is quiteDECEMBER 2008 295