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William I Penny, Bonnet type, mysterious Maint Mint, Moneyer Brihtwine
William I (1066-87), silver Bonnet type Penny (1068-70?), "Maint" Mint, Moneyer Brihtwine, facing crowned and diademed bust with two fillets to edge of coin, legend and beaded circles surrounding both sides, +PILLELMIII REX A, rev. pellet in annulet at centre of voided cross, terminals of pellet with crescent each sides, pellet topped piles in angle, legend and beaded border surrounding, , +BRHTPI ON MAINT, weight 1.11g (SCBI 20:1359 this coin; BMC type II 130; N.842; S.1251). Toned weak in parts, about very fine, reverse better, with a good clear reverse reading for this extremely rare enigmatic Mint.
The legends translate as "William King" on obverse and "Brihtwine of Maint" on the reverse.
This mysterious piece, one of only seven known examples, clearly reads "Maint" for the Mint name, which at that time interestingly in the Anglo-Norman French language translated as "Many."
What we do know is the obverse die has a link with a Thetford Mint coin (BMC type II, 146), therefore it is assumed that this piece is of Suffolk area origins. Could it have been a product of a travelling moneyer Brihtwine giving the place name as "Many" due to his transient nature?
George C Brooke briefly wrote about these Maint coins in his "notes on the Reign of William I" in the Numismatic Chronicle of 1911 (4th series volume 11), pages 268-290 where he talks about the sharing of dies that were linking between Mints. Maint is listed as uncertain, with the link to Thetford on page 278 and illustrated on plate XVII no.2. Brooke also dismisses the prior suggestions of other commentators, when writing in 1911 that Maint had anything to do with either Mainestune in Yorkshire, or Malmesbury in Wiltshire as they are too far distant from Suffolk.
The first Norman King of England, William the Conqueror born around 1028 was the son of Robert I of Normandy and Herleya. A descendant of Rollo, William became Duke of Normandy in 1035, he subsequently married Matilda of Flanders in the 1050s ensuring a powerful ally in that neighbouring region. After a protracted struggle and quashing rebellions, his hold over Normandy was eventually secure by 1060 and with appointment of supporting abbots and bishops in the Norman church, and he subsequently secured the region of Maine in 1062. William's first cousin once removed was the childless Edward the Confessor of England and from this family connection and that Edward had previously told him he would succeed, he assumed a claim to the throne of England over Harold Godwinson, who Edward had named as his successor on his deathbed in January 1066. William also claimed that Harold previously had promised the throne to him in the event of succession, Harold having sworn over holy relics in William's presence as depicted in the Bayeux tapestry. William therefore built up a powerful invasion force to cross the channel and fight for the right to rule England as of September 1066. He landed at Pevensey Bay and after setting up camp with a basic fort at Hastings he marched north to meet Harold at Senlac Hill at Battle, East Sussex on the 14th October. A battle raged for most of the day, with at one point a rumour spread that William was slain resulting in him having to remove his helmet and reveal he was alive and fighting, boosting the morale of the Normans for the final onslaught in which Harold perished, either from an arrow in the eye or cut down by a horseman. William then went on a military tour to put down local uprisings leading to his crowning in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day. He made arrangements in London for governance for whenever he would be in Normandy, and by 1075 his hold on England was almost complete with many forts and castles constructed. His later years involved quelling other uprisings in Europe and difficulty with his eldest son Robert Curthose, but his most famous achievement in England was the preparation of the Domesday Book in 1086; a survey of the land and the land-owners and nobles within it, listing pre-conquest and current holders at that time. William died in September 1087 leading a campaign in northern France and was buried at Caen. Normandy was given to eldest son Robert, with England given to his next surviving son William Rufus.
Provenance:
Ex A H Baldwin and Sons Ltd, 1949.
Ex Wing Commander R P Mack, SCBI 20:1359.
Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, July 1982, item 5741 at £500.
Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, October 1992, item 5955 at £750.
Ex Allan Williams Collection, part IV, 29th January 2019, lot 634.
Ex Collection of an English Doctor part II, Sovereign Rarities fixed price list online May 2022.
FAQs
What makes a coin valuable?

I have coins to sell, what’s the next step?

How will my purchases be shipped?

What happens if I’m not entirely happy with my purchase?

