Edward the Confessor Penny, Radiate type, Watchet/Bedwyn, Moneyer Godcild

Edward the Confessor (1042-66),silver Penny, radiate/small cross type (1044-46), Watchet/Bedwyn Mint, moneyer Godcild, radiate crowned and draped bust left, legend and outer beaded circle surrounding, commences at top, +EDPER D REX A, rev. small cross pattee, inner circle and legend surrounding, +GODCILD ON PECED struck over BEDPI, re-utilising a die originally intended for Bedwyn, weight 1.10g (SCBI -; BMC type I; N.816; S.1173). Toned a little weak on top prong of crown, otherwise good very fine and of the highest rarity with only three known examples, the other two being housed in museum collections, and an extremely rare reuse of a die meant originally for a different location.

The legends translate as "Edward King of the English" and on the reverse "Godcild of Watchet"

For further reading on this actual coin see paper by David Guest with comments Stewart Lyon issued 23^rd July 2020 as an online article at the British Numismatic Society website www.britnumsoc.org where this coin is revealed as a true reusage of a die originally intended for Bedwyn but converted for use by overstriking the mint name at Watchet, both extremely rare mints in their own right. This mint and moneyer were recorded for Watchet by Mark Blackburn in his 1974 BNJ article on the mint of Watchet that collated all the then known examples of the Anglo-Saxon and Norman Pennies. Blackburn at the time remarked re number 32 in his listing that Hildebrand had given this mint reading for Godcild as Bedford rather than Watchet and was re-attributed to Watchet by Van Der Meer in 1961, that coin is in the Royal Cabinet at Stockholm. One other of the same type has since been recorded in the Estonian Collections sylloge 51:1031 where it is listed as per Hildebrand as Bedford. The coin herewith is a third example of this die combination and is perhaps the clearest at demonstrating the overstrike and reuse of this reverse, and it is Bedwyn in Wiltshire that is the under-type and not Bedford as show by Guest with positive comment from Lyon. David Guest goes on to say there is only one other recorded instance in the radiate small cross type of an overstruck mint name for a coin first recorded by Freeman in 1984 where a Reading mint signature was changed to Wallingford. Stewart Lyon comments that the die may well be Watchet converted to Bedwyn and may even have been used in both places as the reading shows clearly elements of both mint names. Either way the die associates itself with use in either Bedwyn or Watchet and these are extremely rare mint towns and Godcild and the name of Cild were associated with both locations.

Edward son of Aethelred II and Emma (married 1002) was born at Islip, Oxford probably around 1003-4 as he is already witnessing charters as of 1005, spending early life at Ely Abbey until taken to Normandy by his mother in the autumn of 1013. Recalled to England in 1016 Edward went into exile at the court of his uncle Richard II of Normandy after the death of Edmund Ironside in November of that year, his mother leaving him to marry Canute in 1017. Edward remained there through the death of his uncle in 1027, then with his cousins Richard III and Robert until 1035 when he and his brother Alfred set off separately to see their mother at Winchester. Edward sailed to but was refused passage into Southampton, however Alfred who landed successfully in Kent was betrayed by Godwin at Guildford who turned him over to Harold and died at Ely after being fatally blinded. Edward later met his mother at Bruges in 1039 where he met with Harthacanute and was later called to England once the latter was King to be named as heir apparent. Harthacanute died suddenly after imbibing too much at a wedding on 8^th June 1042 and Edward was chosen King by council backed by Earl Godwin who perhaps was trying to make amends for the death of Harold as he also gave the gift of a galley ship. Edward was at first inexperienced and relied on a series of Earls and administrators for advice. Edward married Godwin's daughter Edith in January 1045 but their union remained childless as relations with Godwin became more fraught perhaps as Edward had placed more Normans in pivotal roles in what was becoming a well-organized system of governance reaching a zenith in autumn 1051. That year Edward's sister Goda visited with her husband Eustace of Boulogne, and upon their return journey encountered hostility in Dover. Edward asked Godwin to punish the people of Dover on his behalf, but he refused (perhaps resenting the number of Normans in important positions), resulting in Edward banishing Godwin and all his family, including his own wife Edith and splitting his lands. It was at this time that according to the French sources, that Edward visited William of Normandy for naval support and to keep an eye on Godwin, as William was married to a daughter of Count Baldwin and was therefore brother-in-law to Tostig, Godwin's son, married to another daughter of Baldwin, and during this visit perhaps the heirship to England was discussed. By June 1052 Harold "Godwinson" was off the Isle of Wight and sailed up the Thames together with his Father, where they induced Edward to pardon the family and take back Edith. With the death of Godwin in April 1053 Harold now stepped into the fore as the Chief Minister and Commander in Chief to Edward and struck up a harmonious relationship of government which lasted until 1066; Harold restoring much of Wales to English over-lordship, securing southern Britain, whilst becoming the richest person in England after the King.

In 1054 Edward sent Bishop Ealdred of Worcester into Europe to seek the sons of Edmund Ironside, locating the only survivor Edward "The Exile" in Hungary. He was invited with his family to London in early 1057 but he died aged around 40, just after arrival leaving wife Agatha, a baby son Edgar, and two daughters Margaret and Cristina. Other court favourites of Edward, Ralph of Hereford and Siward passed away around this time too. In 1065 a revolt in Northumbria under Earl Tostig, brother of Harold culminated at Oxford where Harold came to terms and exiled Tostig; and it was at this time that Harold perhaps visited Normandy, despite warnings from Edward to negotiate hostage kinsmen's release, and as shown in the Bayeux Tapestry, then making an oath to William as heir, swearing allegiance, unbeknownst till after that he swore over holy relics. Only the French sources depict this, and it seems Edward in London was already suffering from his final illness, as he was too sick to attend the dedication of the brand new Westminster Abbey on the 28^th December 1065, though only residing a few hundred yards away. He died aged around 62 on 4^th January 1066 and Harold made sure he was crowned Harold II the next day to avoid any discussion of Edgar Aethling son of Edward the Exile and grandson of Edmund Ironside succeeding. Edward was known as "The Confessor" post-mortem for the nostalgia of his reign, as one of great foresight in his wise words, his secular enthusiasm, and perhaps holy chastity being childless. Reports of miraculous healings after 1066 soon emerged and his body buried in Westminster Abbey was found to be incorrupt as of 1102. He was therefore eventually canonized in 1161.

Watchet is a coastal town in Somerset, nearly 17 miles north-west of Taunton and is mentioned in the Burghal Hidage. The Danes landed nearby in 918 and the town was later harried by them in 987. Minting activity occurs from the reign of Aethelred II to King Stephen.

Provenance:

Ex A. H. Baldwin circa 2000 with old ticket in the hand of Michael Sharp.

Ex Classical Numismatic Group, Webshop, July 2020.

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