Somewhere Close By - Day 3...

CRUSADER

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May 25, 2007
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ENGLAND
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All Treasure Hunting
We are running out of good options & only had a short 3 hour window, so we stuck close by. This field is close to a Roman Town & within its farming/administrative boundries. Although its always been farm land with no nearby sites (other than the Town), it does produce a little bit of most periods.
It was raining most of the time, but still pretty mild. (sticky boots time!)

2 Scrappies
2 Lead Tokens
1 Rose Farthing
19th C Hunts Button - Running Hare
Livery Button - Dogs Head
Blank Shilling
Late Georgian Fob Seal - Stone in mostly complete but its blank - lots of these were pure fashion - no function
Scrap Silver
On my last run before returning to the car I saved the day with a Charles I Tower Mint Halfpenny.8-)
 

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Upvote 7
Crusader,

At some point, I think you need to write a book about your discoveries. :occasion14:
 

Wow thats a tiny one! You're really focused on what your doing! :notworthy: Like the fob seal and the livery button too!
 

That halfpenny is minuscule ! I'm guessing the hole was so it could be worn on a skein or chord of some kind , alas it hit the dirt
anyway ! Good day out there .
 

Sweet halfpence Cru, thanks for sharing! I poked around and found that they only weigh about 1/5th of a gram! That's tiny! Also, regarding it being holed, I came across this blurb which was very informative. I'm sure you know all about it, but would imagine that most of us here haven't heard of the (potential) reason behind the coins getting punctured:

The coin is nail-bored, probably as a consequence of measures taken during the Great Recoinage of 1696. It is unfortunate that it was only coins in relatively good condition that were required to be pierced in this way; those that were clipped/worn were not allowed to be tendered. When hammered coins are found in this state (i.e. relatively good condition with crude holes through them), this is invariably the reason. They have not been converted to pendants as some argue, and thus they remain coins, not artefacts:

"Persons having unclipt hammered Monies before 10th Feb. 1695, to cause the same to be punched.; After 10th Feb. no unclipt hammered Monies to be current unless so punched.; Receiving, &c. such appearing to be clipt; Penalty; Quarter Sessions empowered to determine Offences.

And in regard such of the Coins of this Realme formerly made with the Hammer and not by the Mill and Presse and which doe att this time remain Whole and Unclipt will still bee most liable and subject to that pernicious Crime of Clipping or Rounding by wicked Persons who regard their owne unjust Lucre more then the Preservation of their native Countrey. For the better Prevention thereof bee it further enacted by the. Authority aforesaid That every Person having such unclipt hammered Moneys in his her or their Hands...doe before the Tenth Day of February One thousand six hundred ninety five or before they dispose of the same cause such unclipt Moneys to bee struck through about the Middle of every Piece with a solid Punch that shall make a Hole without diminishing the Silver And that after the said Tenth Day of February noe unclipt hammered Moneys (that is to say) such Pieces as have both Rings. or the greatest part of the Letters appearing thereon shall bee Current unlesse it be soe struck through And if any Piece struck through shall appeare afterwards to bee clipt noe Person shall tender or receive the same in Payment under the Penalty of. forfeiting as much as the clipt Moneys soe puncht through shall amount to in Tale to bee recovered to the Use of the Poor of the Parish where such Money shall bee soe tendred or received And His Majesties Justices of the Peace or the major part of them in the General Quarter Session upon Complaint to bee made to them of such Offence are hereby impowered to take Cognizance thereof and to determine the same and for that purpose to cause the Parties complained of to appear before them and in case of Conviction to issue their Warrant or Warrants to levy such Penalty upon the Goods and Chattells of the Offenders."

from: Charles I Penny - UK Finds Database -
 

I always get a chuckle when I see you use a US penny for size reference.

Another great day for you Cru!
 

I've always understood another reason for holes coinage was for the owner to sew the coinage to the inside of clothing for protection again loss or theft.

Cru it seems regardless of what dirt you walk over the finds for a few hours are nothing short of being to notch. Liking the silver as the cut quarters and these little halves don't come easy, and it really shows that your on your game.
In the third photo over is the star looking piece off a Quillon Dagger?
 

Amazing finds, once again!
 

I love it all, as always! Great fob and livery button.
 

That halfpenny is minuscule ! I'm guessing the hole was so it could be worn on a skein or chord of some kind , alas it hit the dirt
anyway ! Good day out there .

Plumbata, has the most likely reason. Something this small would not need sewing into the clothes for a safe journey (those were more popular on sea journeys & with larger denominations of Spanish/Trade silver). As it's a small value coin used by the masses, it's too valueable for them to just to make jewelry out of. There is one other train of thought, that some were Touchpieces:
Touch piece - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CHARLES I TUN SILVER HAMMERED TOWER MINT HALFCROWN TOUCH PIECE COIN 026353 | eBay
Coins that were touched by the King or near him. That would give a sick person or someone wishing to carry a talisman a reason to keep it on their person & ward off the evil eye ect....

We will near know for sure how many of these were touchpieces & how many were re-issue. But as I have so many holed hammered coins, its clear to say most of them would be re-issue of 1696.
 

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I've always understood another reason for holes coinage was for the owner to sew the coinage to the inside of clothing for protection again loss or theft.

Cru it seems regardless of what dirt you walk over the finds for a few hours are nothing short of being to notch. Liking the silver as the cut quarters and these little halves don't come easy, and it really shows that your on your game.
In the third photo over is the star looking piece off a Quillon Dagger?

I think I tried to correct the Colchester Site for that mis-ID of a Medieval dagger Quillion. Its an 18th C Furniture piece (pretty common find for us), see below:
 

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Last edited:
Sweet halfpence Cru, thanks for sharing! I poked around and found that they only weigh about 1/5th of a gram! That's tiny! Also, regarding it being holed, I came across this blurb which was very informative. I'm sure you know all about it, but would imagine that most of us here haven't heard of the (potential) reason behind the coins getting punctured:

from: Charles I Penny - UK Finds Database -

Yes, 0.21g

It's an unsual type of coin, as all it has is a Rose on both sides with no other letters or mintmarks.

Yes the reason you found is the most likely.
 

I think I tried to correct the Colchester Site for that mis-ID of a Medieval dagger Quillion. Its an 18th C Furniture piece (pretty common find for us), see below:

Thank You for showing me the correct way on how it was used Cru, sometimes we want to believe a find is something it's not.
 

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