Baronial Penny, Earl Henry of Northumbria, Cross fleury type, Carlisle, Ricard

Stephen (1135-1154), silver Penny, of Earl Henry of Northumbria (1136-52), Carlisle Mint, Moneyer Ricard, crude crowned bust with sceptre right to bottom of coin, beaded inner and outer circles and legend surrounding, commences lower left with reversed letters, +hENRI-- h. ) CITI, some lower case h or curves amongst lettering, rev. cross fleury within beaded inner circle, legend and outer beaded circles surrounding, +RICARDI: (DE: C)ARLEL:, weight 1.26g (BMC p.397; BNJ 83, pages 108-109; cf.N.913; cf.S.1310; S.5012). One tiny rim split, weakly struck in one part both sides, otherwise good fine for issue with clear design elements and parts of legend and found in the local vicinity of Carlisle, extremely rare, no example matches in Mack and only other example known.

This coin features in the 2013 article "Carlisle Mint Coinages" by John Mattinson and Peter Cherry in the British Numismatic Journal, volume 83. This coin is described and illustrated as part of the Scottish Group d - Cross Fleury Types in the name of Earl Henry (and David I?). The two known coins had both recently emerged by the time of writing with the presumption that the moneyer Richard is same person who struck the cross and annulets type and cross fleury and pellets type for David I of Scotland at Carlisle. The reversed letter obverse legend certainly reads Henry with some extra curved symbols or lines and seems to end with reading CITI which may refer to his title. The reverse legend which has been deduced in full across the readings of both known examples reads unusually with DE: for ON: which only occurs sometimes on the Scottish coins coupled with the unusual mint signature as CARLEL, never so fully rendered again until the Henry III long cross issues.

The reign of Stephen is perhaps one of the most interesting numismatically as England descends towards Civil War in the latter part of the reign, with an increasing volume in types of coinage with many poorly struck as allegiances to the King, the Empress or the various noblemen wax and wane. The first so-called Watford type is the most abundant due to the fact that a major hoard of this type turned up in the Watford area in Victorian times, rather than something describing the design, but a well struck piece is hard to find.

Often referred to as Stephen of Blois he was born in either 1092 or 1096 he was a younger son of Stephen-Henry the Count of Blois who died whilst Stephen was young, he subsequently being raised by his mother Adela the daughter of William the Conqueror. He was placed into the English court of his uncle Henry Beauclerc, where he rose in prominence and was granted extensive lands, he became Count of Boulogne by his marriage in 1125 to Matilda inheriting estates there and in Kent making the couple one of the wealthiest in England. He had earlier escaped drowning in the White Ship disaster of 1120 which claimed the life of William Aethling the son of Henry I, leaving some doubt over the succession to the English throne despite Henry nominating his daughter Matilda as heir. Later, upon the news of Henry's passing on 1^st December 1135, Stephen immediately crossed over the English Channel and with the help of his brother Henry Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of Glastonbury he took the throne declaring the preservation of order across the Kingdom took priority over any earlier oaths to support his cousin Empress Matilda. His early years were successful ones despite some attacks in the north from David I of Scotland, from Welsh rebels in the west and from Empress Matilda's husband Geoffrey from the east. In 1138 Robert of Gloucester the half-brother of Empress Matilda rebelled threatening civil war. Stephen fiercely defended his rule with support from Waleran de Beaumont, arresting a group of bishops. However, in 1139 when the Empress and Robert of Gloucester invaded Stephen was unable to crush the revolt with them taking hold of the south-west of England. Stephen was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, lost Normandy and abandoned by many of his followers, but was subsequently released after his wife Matilda with William of Ypres captured Robert at the Rout of Winchester, but the civil war continued to drag on unabated. Stephen wanted his son Eustace to succeed him and tried to convince the church to crown Eustace in advance, but Pope Eugene III refused causing disruption within the clergy. In 1153 Empress Matilda's son Henry invaded building a powerful alliance of barons to support him for the throne. The armies met at Wallingford with neither side keen to fight and negotiations began to find peace hastened by the sudden death of Eustace on the 17^th August at Bury St Edmunds, and resulting in the Treaty of Winchester where Stephen recognized Henry as heir. Stephen passed away on 25^th October 1154 from a stomach disease whilst at Dover and is buried at Faversham Abbey.

Some sixty miles west of Newcastle, the City of Carlisle on the River Eden was devastated by the Danes in 875 and in ruins until 1092 when William II fortified it by building a castle. The silver and lead mines on nearby Alston Moor were used to supply the mint with metal during the twelfth century and a Bishopric was established in 1133. David of Scotland seized the town on the accession of Stephen but later in the Peace of Durham, was confirmed to his son Henry. In 1139 the town was ceded with his Earldom of Northumbria to the Scottish crown and not restored to the English till 1157. Minting activity occurs from Henry I to Henry III with issues of David of Scotland and Henry of Northumbria.

Provenance:

Found near Cockermouth, 2008, EMC 2010:0082.

Ex Collection of an English Doctor part II, Sovereign Rarities fixed price list online May 2022.