THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
KEITH SUGDEN AND IAN JONES
Introduction
A hoard of silver coins dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, together with one
gold coin, was found on 15 June 2004 by Jason Scott while digging footings for a barn conversion at Prestbury, Cheshire. Hoards of this period from the North West of England are unusual (none was listed by Besly),1 especially those including gold coinage, and the overwhelming
majority of reported finds are from the more prosperous Midlands and Yorkshire. The latest
coins in the present hoard have the initial mark Triangle-in-Circle (in use 1641–43), and it is
likely that the turbulent events of the Civil War of 1642–49 led to the hoard’s deposition. The
majority of the coins have since been sold at auction by the finder (Dix Noonan Webb sale 68,
12 December 2005, lots 1–153), after being declared Treasure at a coroner’s inquest on 19 October
2004 and returned to him. A brief summary of the hoard (2004 T349) was included in Treasure
Annual Report 2004.2
Historical background
The Royalist High Sheriff of Cheshire, Thomas Legh, is known to have owned the land on
which the hoard was found; he lived at Adlington Hall, Cheshire, some 3 km north of Prestbury
and 20 km south of Manchester. In September 1642, the Earl of Derby laid siege to Manchester
on behalf of the king, and it is possible the hoard is associated with these events; the people
of Manchester and the surrounding towns were generally Parliamentary supporters, and
between 23 and 26 September 1642 ‘country people from the surrounding areas flooded into
the town [Manchester] to defend it.’3 The assault was unsuccessful.
It is often difficult, and frequently unwise, to tie depositions of hoards to specific events,
and the Prestbury hoard is no exception to this rule. Nonetheless, although personal circumstances of which we can know nothing, may well have caused the owner of the significant sum
of some £54 to bury his money, it is likely from the initial mark of the latest coins that they
were deposited at a time of considerable upheaval in the locality. Despite this, there were no
hoards closing with initial mark Triangle-in-Circle (that is, from the early part of the Civil
War) and originating in the North West of England known to Besly,4 and only one terminating
with an earlier initial mark (Congleton, 1956: closing mark Star; £18, all gold), as compared
with eight hoards from this period recorded by him from Yorkshire.
The hoard
The hoard consisted of one gold coin, a laurel of James I (third coinage, fourth bust, initial
mark Trefoil), and 1,359 silver coins (together with six forgeries), contained within a cylindrical earthenware jar, found in six fragments and thought to be of local manufacture in the
North West Purple tradition (see Appendix 2). Gold coins occur in about one-third (10/32) of
Acknowledgements. The authors would like to thank Edward Besly, of the National Museum of Wales, for generously
providing a copy of his 1987 monograph, and for his initial comments. The illustrations on Pl. 3 have been provided by Dix
Noonan Webb.
1
Besly 1987.
2
Treasure Annual Report 2004, 191–2, no. 477.
3
Pendlebury 1983.
4
Besly 1987.
Keith Sugden and Ian Jones, ‘The Prestbury Civil War hoard’, British Numismatic Journal 82 (2012), 133–45. ISSN 0143–8956.
© British Numismatic Society.
134
SUGDEN AND JONES
hoards ending in initial mark Triangle-in-Circle noted by Besly, usually as a small number of
coins, although occasionally they form the bulk of the hoard (e.g. Reading 1934, Painswick
1941).5 Of the silver coins, the largest denomination was the halfcrown, of which there was
one of James I and 44 of Charles I, together with one Scottish 30 shillings (which circulated
as a halfcrown in England); there were no European ‘dollars’. The majority of the coins were
Elizabethan sixpences (528) and shillings (219), with smaller contributions of Stuart sixpences
and shillings, and some pieces dating from the mid-sixteenth century (see Appendix 1). Tudor
coins were slightly heavier than their Stuart counterparts (by 3.3 per cent),6 a gain that was
largely negated by the degree of wear and clipping on the coins in the hoard. Only one provincial coin was found – a sixpence of Aberystwyth – and no ‘milled’ pieces, either by Mestrell or
Briot (excluding Scottish coins); however, Royalist mints were only just starting production at
this period. As usual, there were a few Scots and Irish coins, the Scottish circulating at 12s.
Scots = 1s. English (leaving the Scottish merk of 13s. 4d. Scots to be worth 13½d. English),
and the Irish coins circulating at 1s. Irish = 9d. English. There were 35 Scottish coins (2.5 per
cent of the total by number) and 26 Irish (1.9 per cent). Six of the coins were sufficiently interesting to merit illustrating: a shilling of James I with initial mark Mullet over Key on obverse,
omitting the intervening Bell mark (933; Pl. 3, 1); a sixpence of James I of 1615, with initial
mark Tun over Cinquefoil on obverse (1011; Pl. 3, 2); a sixpence of James I of 1616 (over 1615),
the date 1616 being previously unrecorded (1012; Pl. 3, 3); two very rare shillings of Charles I,
initial mark Harp, with plume above the shield on the reverse (1085–6; Pl. 3, 4–5); and a shilling
of Charles I from an obverse of Briot’s hammered coinage muled with an ordinary Tower
reverse (1238; Pl. 3, 6).
The size of the hoard is noteworthy. The median number of coins in hoards ending in
Triangle-in-Circle noted by Besly that had sufficient detail for analysis (23) was 170, and the
median value was £8 5s. 0d., whereas the Prestbury hoard contained 1,366 coins with a face
value of £53 17s. 9½d.7 Clearly this represents a substantial sum of money, at a time when the
total estate of the Vicar of Bolton (who died shortly after the Bolton Massacre of 1644) was
recorded for probate as £176 17s. 10d.,8 and a day’s pay offered to a cavalryman was 2s. 6d.9
Percentages of clipped coins
The proportions of clipped coins are worthy of note. In discussing the state of the currency,
Besly observed that ‘virtually all of Elizabeth’s silver coins had been clipped and many of
James I. Only in the North are Charles’ coins clipped in any quantity, perhaps because of the
area’s remoteness and poor enforcement of the law.’10 He rightly pointed out the difficulty of
identifying clipped, as opposed to poorly struck, coins, but to an experienced observer a high
proportion of the coins from the Prestbury hoard have been clipped, though by no means all
of Elizabeth’s pieces and none of the earlier coins of Edward VI, Mary or Philip and Mary.
Perhaps these earlier pieces were becoming unfamiliar and were subject to greater scrutiny.
TABLE 1.
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
5
6
7
8
9
10
Besly 1987, 80–6.
Challis 1978, 321–5.
Besly 1987, 116.
Pendlebury 1983, 3.
Besly 1987, 55.
Besly 1987, 65.
Percentages of clipped coins in the Prestbury hoard
2s. 6d.
1s.
6d.
–
(one coin)
4.6
28.6
29.4
15.9
30.9
23.4
15.5
135
THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
Percentages of clipped coins in the Breckenbrough Hoard11
TABLE 2.
2s. 6d.
1s.
–
19.8
37.9
27.7
James I
Charles I
Weights
Two summaries of the weights of the silver coins have been prepared (see Appendix 1). The
first (A) shows the weights of the coins as an overall average (1), the numbers of the coins
found (2), and the average weights as a percentage of the standard at which they were issued
(3). As expected, this table shows a steady drop in the percentage of the weight standard as the
coin gets older, though the average weight of the Elizabethan shillings and sixpences is slightly
greater than those of James, and this is emphasised by summary (B), which shows the average
weights as a percentage of the standard pertaining in 1640. Thus the weight of the silver of
Elizabeth is still largely comparable with that of the Stuart coinage, and this no doubt accounts
for its continued presence in currency sixty or more years later.
The same does not apply to the groats of Mary, which are considerably worn, as a similar
summary (Table 3) for them shows. Thus the early groats are seen to have lost about one-third
of their weight, though they are not obviously clipped; whether they circulated at face value
at this period is unknown.
TABLE 3.
Mean wt.
No. of coins
1.37 g
30
Weights of Mary groats
Mean wt. as percentage
of standard
Mean wt. as percentage
of standard in 1640
68.3
66.4
The average weight of all undamaged (that is, not pierced or broken) coins in Table 4 is
similar to the average weights of coins in hoards ending in initial mark Triangle-in-Circle
noted by Cook.12
TABLE 4.
Hoard
Revesby
Wortwell
Dersingham
Ryhall
Wroughton
Tidenham
Prestbury
Mean weights of undamaged coins
Sixpence
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
2.70
2.39
2.74
2.68
3.04
2.93
2.69
2.71
2.58
2.68
2.77
2.85
2.59
2.77
2.94
2.98
2.82
2.97
Shilling
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles I
5.57
5.69
5.66
5.38
5.55
5.25
5.57
5.27
5.64
5.69
5.70
5.73
5.42
5.61
5.84
5.89
5.90
6.01
6.01
5.83
5.87
Halfcrown
Charles I
14.88
14.98
14.91
14.61
14.87
Conclusions
The Prestbury Hoard represents a large deposit of coinage from the early phase of the English
Civil War, and confirms Besly’s comment that clipping of the coinage was more prevalent in
the north of the country, perhaps because of its remoteness.
11
12
Besly 1987, 65.
Cook 1999, 171–2; Cook 2002, 100–3.
136
SUGDEN AND JONES
REFERENCES
Besly, E., 1987. English Civil War Coin Hoards, British Museum Occasional Paper 51 (London).
Challis, C.E., 1978. The Tudor Coinage (Manchester).
Cook, B.J., 1999. ‘New hoards from seventeenth-century England’, BNJ 69, 146–72.
Cook, B.J., 2002. ‘New hoards from seventeenth-century England II’, BNJ 72, 95–114.
Pendlebury, G., 1983. Aspects of the English Civil War in Bolton and its Neighbourhood 1640–1660 (Manchester).
APPENDIX 1
Catalogue
* = clearly clipped
Reign/coin no.
Edward VI
1
2–3
4
5
Mary
6–35
Philip and Mary
36–7
38–41
42–3
44
45–8
Elizabeth I
49–52
53–92
# = other damage or accretion
Denomination
Description
Shilling
Weight (g)
Y (1)
Tun (2)
Y (1)
Tun (1)
6.12
5.69, 5.04#
2.61
2.84
Groat
(30)
1.33, 1.42, 1.28, 1.58, 1.39, 1.43,
1.32, 1.19, 1.19, 1.25, 1.28, 1.37,
1.42, 1.18, 1.68, 1.51, 1.46, 1.40,
1.27, 1.16, 1.54, 1.31, 1.35, 1.44,
1.25, 1.53, 1.41, 1.41, 1.51, 1.36
Shilling
Undated (2)
1555 (4)
1554 Spanish titles (2)
1557 Lis, English titles (1)
(4)
5.38, 5.38
4.62, 5.35, 5.05, 5.52
2.64, 2.47
2.75
1.42, 1.31, 1.16, 1.42
Lis (4)
Martlet (40)
5.49, 5.72, 5.13, 5.24
5.57, 5.27*, 4.76*, 5.38, 5.27, 5.42,
4.48*, 4.90*, 5.70, 5.61, 5.02*,
5.84, 4.87*, 6.01, 5.05*, 5.54, 5.51,
5.87, 5.98, 5.81, 5.24*, 5.96, 4.87*,
5.43, 5.46, 4.79*, 5.71, 4.78*, 5.68,
5.53, 5.46, 5.26, 5.89, 5.54, 4.89*,
5.89, 5.68, 5.54, 5.83, 4.95*
5.31*, 5.77, 5.48, 5.10, 4.53*, 5.74,
5.66, 4.67*, 5.91, 4.85*, 5.91#,
5.37, 4.32*, 5.92, 5.24, 5.69, 5.90,
5.60, 5.90, 5.74, 5.49, 4.64*, 5.98,
4.92#, 4.74*, 4.28*, 5.93, 5.59,
5.47*, 5.35*, 5.42*, 5.33*, 5.53,
5.46*, 5.77, 5.96, 5.54, 4.72*
4.77*, 5.84, 5.56*, 5.60*, 5.76,
5.57, 5.66, 5.80
5.99, 5.08*, 5.62, 5.85, 5.52, 4.90*,
6.06, 6.14, 5.59, 5.91, 5.32, 5.36*,
5.94, 5.72, 5.04*
5.81, 5.76, 5.73, 6.04, 5.04*, 5.58,
5.00*
6.26, 5.33*, 6.11, 5.96, 6.34, 5.56,
5.73, 5.55, 5.68
5.71, 5.30*, 6.49, 4.75*, 5.96,
5.84*, 5.87, 5.89, 5.78, 5.57, 5.80,
4.81*, 5.66, 4.78*
Sixpence
Sixpence
Groat
Shilling
93–130
Cross Crosslet (38)
131–8
Bell (8)
139–53
A (15)
154–60
Escallop (7)
161–9
Crescent (9)
170–83
Hand (14)
THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
Reign/coin no.
184–218
Denomination
Description
Tun (35)
219–45
Woolpack (27)
246–50
251
252–9
Key (5)
0 (1)
1 (8)
260–5
266–7
268–97
2 (6)
Uncertain (2)
1561 Pheon (30)
Sixpence
298–307
1562 Pheon (10)
308–11
312–23
1563 Pheon (4)
1564 Pheon (12)
324–8
329–41
1565 Pheon (5)
Uncertain date Pheon (13)
342–9
1565 Rose (8)
350–66
1566 Portcullis (17)
367–72
373–6
377–95
1566 Lion (6)
1567 Lion (4)
1567 Coronet (19)
396–413
1568 Coronet (18)
414–34
1569 Coronet (21)
435–41
1570 Coronet (7)
442–3
444–8
449–62
Uncertain date Coronet (2)
1570 Castle (5)
1571 Castle (14)
463–93
1572 Ermine (31)
137
Weight (g)
5.84, 5.58*, 5.62*, 5.51, 6.12, 5.94,
5.18*, 6.12, 5.93, 5.79, 5.62*, 5.62,
5.89, 5.57*, 5.69, 5.33*, 5.74, 5.92,
5.80, 5.83, 5.51*, 5.76, 5.93, 5.83,
6.30, 5.97, 5.87, 5.67, 4.85*, 5.49,
5.96, 5.84, 5.80, 5.98, 5.07*
5.97, 5.95, 6.12, 5.87, 5.37*, 5.88,
5.74, 5.69, 6.26, 5.49, 6.06, 6.03,
5.17*, 4.96*, 5.62, 5.97, 5.90, 5.58,
5.07*, 5.09*, 5.30#, 6.12, 5.83,
5.06*, 5.61, 5.77, 6.10
5.83, 6.00, 5.94, 6.19, 5.43*
6.11
5.86, 5.73, 5.81, 5.61, 5.71, 5.17*,
4.90*, 5.57
5.58*, 5.41*, 5.50, 5.76, 5.86, 5.92
5.78, 6.30
2.31, 2.35*, 2.57#, 2.47, 2.57,
2.60#, 2.12*, 2.39*, 2.92, 2.78,
2.11*, 2.43*, 2.78, 2.51, 2.76, 2.53,
2.63, 2.70, 2.79, 2.67, 2.56*, 2.59,
2.54, 2.61, 2.75, 2.71, 2.63, 2.25,
2.34*, 2.71
2.50, 2.68, 2.53, 2.25*, 2.42*, 2.84,
2.67, 2.80, 2.50, 2.45
2.66, 2.91, 2.71, 2.45*
2.86, 2.72, 2.72, 2.31*, 2.62, 2.75,
2.55*, 2.76, 2.66, 2.58, 2.80, 2.89
2.74, 2.52, 2.78, 2.67*, 2.69
2.72, 2.46, 2.50, 2.43, 2.65, 2.42,
2.81, 2.64, 2.66, 2.52, 2.40*, 2.33*,
2.21*
2.48, 2.80, 2.80, 2.64*, 2.75, 2.70,
2.77, 2.71
2.51, 2.65, 2.76, 2.71, 2.73, 2.62*,
2.80, 2.59, 2.58, 2.77#, 2.44*,
2.46*, 2.72, 2.77, 2.74, 2.66*,
2.67*
2.53, 2.75, 2.68, 2.64, 2.67, 2.65
2.23*, 2.80, 2.65, 2.71
2.25*, 2.64, 2.84, 2.68, 2.52*, 2.71,
2.61, 2.75, 2.78*, 2.57, 2.81, 2.66,
2.41*, 2.16*, 2.69, 2.80, 2.29*,
2.30*, 2.73*
2.59, 2.42*, 2.70, 2.23*, 2.65,
2.74*, 2.84, 2.29*, 2.66, 2.83,
2.59*, 2.69, 2.80, 2.59, 2.81, 2.55*,
2.63, 2.15*
2.70, 2.23*, 2.83, 2.40*, 2.52, 2.63,
2.41*, 2.75, 2.58, 2.40*, 2.69, 2.70,
2.67, 2.66, 2.76, 2.63, 2.69, 2.83,
2.94, 2.61, 2.67
2.83#, 2.37*, 2.62*, 2.43*, 2.87,
2.65, 2.84*
2.69, 2.56
2.42, 2.39*, 2.79, 2.75, 2.28*
2.59,. 2.63, 2.74, 2.72*, 2.22*, 2.81,
2.91, 2.59*, 2.84, 2.87, 2.12*, 2.57,
2.74, 2.87
2.69, 2.62, 2.93, 2.61, 2.76*, 2.88,
2.69, 2.86, 2.62*, 2.24*, 2.72, 2.89,
2.86, 2.48*, 2.66, 2.72, 2.61*, 2.59,
2.67#, 2.69, 2.55, 2.66, 2.76, 2.58*,
3.03, 3.08, 2.63, 2.75#, 2.83, 2.60,
2.69*
138
Reign/coin no.
494–506
507–15
516
517–18
519–20
521–43
544–69
570–3
574
575–7
578–604
605–12
613–14
615–36
637–46
647
648–61
662–70
671–81
682
683–5
686–92
693
694–6
697
698–9
700–2
703–9
710–21
722
723–34
735–49
SUGDEN AND JONES
Denomination
Description
1573 Ermine (13)
Weight (g)
2.81, 2.76, 2.72, 2.60, 2.65, 2.53,
2.50#, 2.79, 2.83, 2.69*, 2.70, 2.73,
2.73
1573 Acorn (9)
2.54, 2.63, 2.76*, 2.71, 2.35*, 2.85,
2.79, 2.64, 2.82
1574 Acorn (1)
2.70*
Uncertain date Acorn (2)
2.65, 2.73*
1573 Eglantine (2)
2.77*, 2.77
1574 Eglantine (23)
2.70, 2.71, 2.60*, 2.69, 2.80, 2.54*,
2.87, 2.39*, 2.42*, 2.43*, 2.75,
2.84#, 2.63*, 2.68, 2.76*, 2.68*,
2.87, 2.83, 2.63*, 2.75, 2.19, 2.82,
2.75
1575 Eglantine (26)
2.55#, 2.62#, 2.85, 2.78*, 2.79,
2.70*, 2.45*, 2.78, 2.75, 2.70,
2.70*, 2.79, 2.21*, 2.70, 2.65*,
2.86, 2.66*, 2.81, 2.67*, 2.51*,
2.83, 2.34*, 2.53*, 2.91, 2.89,
2.16*
1576 Eglantine (4)
2.42#, 2.37, 2.62, 2.77
1577 Eglantine (1)
2.77
Uncertain date Eglantine (3)
2.77, 2.63, 2.90
1578 Greek Cross (27)
2.47*, 2.86, 2.67, 2.95, 2.86, 2.90,
2.66*, 2.57, 2.78, 2.69, 2.50*, 2.56,
2.91, 2.42#, 2.88, 2.44*, 2.63*,
2.90, 2.87*, 2.61*, 2.45*, 2.42*,
2.74, 2.79, 3.25, 2.38*, 2.68*
1579 Greek Cross (8)
2.73, 2.81, 2.63*, 2.91, 2.42*, 2.70,
2.94, 2.83
Uncertain date Greek Cross (2) 2.63*, 2.74
1580 Latin Cross (22)
2.63*, 2.99, 2.65*, 2.86, 2.96, 2.82,
2.34*, 2.06#, 2.70, 2.58, 2.66#,
2.34*, 2.37, 2.89, 2.36*, 2.60,
2.77*, 2.59, 2.86*, 2.92, 2.79*,
2.43
1581 Latin Coss (10)
3.04, 2.88*, 2.90, 2.74#, 2.89,
2.74*, 2.93, 2.30*, 2.83, 2.54*
Uncertain date Latin Cross (1) 2.92
1582 Sword (14)
2.60, 2.75, 2.93, 2.79, 2.52, 2.85,
2.43*, 2.76, 2.79, 3.03, 2.91, 2.85,
2.83, 2.68*
1582 Bell (9)
2.77, 2.42*, 2.78*, 2.62*, 2.77,
2.82, 2.84, 2.18*, 2.90
1583 Bell (11)
2.84, 2.80, 2.82, 2.76, 2.56#, 2.81,
2.73*, 2.85, 2.78*, 2.56*, 2.41*
Uncertain date Bell (1)
2.77
1583 A (3)
2.77, 2.79, 2.68*
1584 A (7)
2.50*, 2.79, 2.90*, 2.91, 2.73,
2.69*, 2.67*
Uncertain date A (1)
2.53
1585 Escallop (3)
2.83, 2.76*, 2.48#
1586 Escallop (1)
2.59*
1587 Crescent (2)
2.86, 2.59*
1589 Crescent (3)
2.82, 2.79, 2.88
1590 Hand (7)
2.82, 2.94, 2.61*, 2.87, 2.76, 2.87#,
2.31*
1591 Hand (12)
2.18*, 2.87, 2.77, 2.87, 2.92, 2.84,
2.78, 2.89, 2.85, 2.26*, 3.01, 2.96
1592 Hand (1)
2.77
1592 Tun (12)
2.89*, 2.81, 2.91, 2.61*, 2.84, 2.89,
2.87, 2.42*, 2.82*, 2.83, 2.95, 2.82
1593 Tun (15)
2.74*, 2.94, 2.81, 2.94, 2.44*, 2.76,
2.86*, 2.48*, 2.70*, 2.78, 2.94*,
2.82, 3.05, 2.96, 2.89
139
THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
Reign/coin no.
750–1
752
753–5
756–60
761–3
764–9
Denomination
Description
1594 Tun (2)
Uncertain date Tun (1)
1594 Woolpack (3)
1595 Woolpack (5)
1595 Key (3)
1596 Key (6)
770
771–2
773
774–9
780–7
1598 Key (1)
1599 Anchor (2)
1600 0 (1)
1601 1 (6)
1602 2 (8)
788–95
Uncertain date and mark (8)
796
797–801
802
803–9
Groat
Lis (1)
Cross Crosslet (5)
Martlet (1)
Uncertain mark (7)
810
811
812
813
814
815
Threepence
1568 Coronet (1)
1571 Castle (1)
1572 Ermine (1)
1575 Eglantine (1)
1579 Greek Cross (1)
Uncertain date and mark (1)
James I
816
Laurel
817
818–22
Halfcrown
Shilling
Third coinage, fourth bust,
Trefoil (1)
Third issue, no plumes, Lis (1)
First issue, first bust,
Thistle (5)
First issue, second bust,
Thistle (14)
823–36
837–65
Second issue, third bust,
Lis (29)
866–76
Second issue, third bust,
Rose (11)
Second issue, fourth bust,
Rose (23)
877–99
900–12
Second issue, fourth bust,
Escallop (13)
913–19
Second issue, fourth bust,
Grapes (7)
Second issue, fourth bust,
920–4
925
926–7
928
929–30
Coronet (5)
Second issue, fourth bust,
bust uncertain (1)
Second issue, fifth bust,
Coronet (2)
Second issue, fifth bust,
Key (1)
Second issue, fifth bust,
Bell (2)
Weight (g)
2.45*, 2.97
2.89
2.88, 2.83, 2.71
2.72, 2.82, 2.74*, 2.56*, 2.71
2.79, 2.84, 2.55*
2.83*, 2.44*, 2.84, 2.87*, 2.84,
2.52*
2.72*
2.58, 2.48*
2.97
2.86, 2.80, 2.95, 2.89, 2.78, 2.58#
2.79, 2.77, 2.64*, 2.62*, 2.78*,
2.76*, 2.93, 3.06
2.57, 2.76, 2.45*, 2.30*, 2.78,
2.48*, 2.35*, 2.85
1.18
1.36, 1.32, 1.45, 1.28, 1.73
1.40#
1.59, 1.23, 1.32, 1.58, 1.22*, 1.41,
1.40
1.20
1.11
1.10*
1.35
1.18
0.93
9.11
14.85
4.76*, 5.55, 5.80, 5.81, 5.77
6.05, 6.13, 5.22*, 5.78, 5.51, 5.69,
5.66, 4.69*, 4.90*, 5.44, 5.66,
5.70*, 4.89*, 4.90*
5.78, 5.90, 5.52, 5.72, 5.53*, 5.99,
5.07*, 5.63, 5.88*, 5.32*, 5.78,
5.97, 5.87*, 5.62, 5.35, 5.48*, 5.73,
5.97, 4.96*, 4.93*, 5.68*, 5.99,
5.80, 5.69, 5.84, 5.63, 5.88, 5.23*,
5.53*
5.88, 5.88, 3.89*, 5.90, 5.91, 5.06#,
5.76, 5.69, 5.80, 5.79, 4.57*
5.19*, 4.98*, 5.74, 5.61, 6.14, 5.79,
5.99, 5.86, 5.69, 5.82, 5.70, 4.98*,
5.86, 5.72*, 5.99, 5.76, 5.89, 5.88,
4.91*, 5.74, 5.02*, 5.69, 5.67
5.73, 5.68, 5.64, 5.74, 5.05*, 5.94,
5.60, 5.64*, 5.79, 5.85, 5.56, 5.82,
5.77
5.59*, 5.76*, 5.61, 5.32*, 5.53,
5.23#, 5.16*
5.55*, 5.57*, 5.94, 5.63*, 5.79
5.61
5.65, 6.06
5.56*
5.50, 5.89
140
Reign/coin no.
931–2
SUGDEN AND JONES
Denomination
933
934–5
936
937
938–42
943–8
949
950–2
953
954–6
Sixpence
957–61
962–3
964–72
973–81
982–3
984–5
986–91
992–5
996–1001
1002–3
1004
1005–6
1007–9
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015–16
1017
Charles I
1018–19
1020–1
Halfcrown
Description
Second issue, fifth bust,
Mullet (2)
Second issue, fifth bust,
Mullet over Key (1)
Second issue, fifth bust,
Tun (2)
Third issue, sixth bust,
Rose (1)
Third issue, sixth bust,
Thistle (1)
Third issue, sixth bust,
Lis (5)
Third issue, sixth bust,
Trefoil (6)
Uncertain issue, Thistle (1)
Uncertain issue, Lis (3)
Uncertain issue and mark (1)
1603 first issue, first bust,
Thistle (3)
1603 first issue, second bust,
Thistle (5)
1604 first issue, second bust,
Thistle (2)
1604 first issue, second bust,
Lis (9)
1604 second issue, third bust,
Lis (9)
1605 second issue, third bust,
Lis (2)
1605 second issue, third bust,
Rose (2)
1605 second issue, fourth bust,
Rose (6)
1606 second issue, fourth bust,
Rose (4)
1606 second issue, fourth bust,
Escallop (6)
1607 second issue, fourth bust,
Escallop (2)
1607 second issue, fourth bust,
Grapes (1)
1607 second issue, fourth bust,
Coronet (2)
1608 second issue, fourth bust,
Coronet (3)
1609 second issue, fourth bust,
Key (1)
1615 second issue, fourth bust,
Tun [obv over cinquefoil] (1)
1616 second issue, fourth bust,
Tun (1)
1622 third issue, sixth bust,
Thistle (1)
1623 third issue, sixth bust,
Thistle (1)
1624 third issue, sixth bust,
Trefoil (2)
1624 third issue, sixth bust,
uncertain mark (1)
Group I Lis (1625) N2201 (2)
Group II Plume (1630–31)
N2205 (2)
Weight (g)
5.74, 5.79
5.95
5.90, 5.69
5.94
5.88
5.96, 6.19, 5.93, 5.89, 6.08
5.81, 5.40*, 5.97, 5.78, 4.75*, 5.78
4.57
5.63*, 5.50, 3.68#
5.10*
2.70, 2.72, 2.82
2.88*, 2.33*, 2.31*, 2.94, 2.85
2.86, 2.77
2.64, 2.63#, 2.87, 2.90, 2.95, 2.66*,
2.92, 2.86, 2.78
2.79, 2.64*, 2.92, 2.94, 2.75#, 2.79,
2.93, 2.71, 2.85
2.85, 3.03
2.92, 2.82
2.90, 2.71, 2.93, 2.42*, 2.74, 2.63*
3.09, 2.97, 2.71*, 2.88
2.30*, 2.76*, 2.77, 2.83, 2.68, 2.86*
2.52*, 2.77*
2.65
2.47, 2.83
2.79, 2.60, 2.46*
2.80
2.75
2.31*
2.92
2.86#
2.94, 2.98
2.83
14.91, 14.85
14.89, 14.52
141
THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
Reign/coin no.
1022
Denomination
1023–6
1027–31
1032–3
1034–41
1042
1043–50
1051
1052–3
1054–6
1057
1058–61
1062–5
1066
1067–8
1069–70
1071–3
1074–5
1076–84
1085–6
1087–93
1094
1095–1104
1105–31
Shilling
Description
Group II Rose (1631–32)
N2205 (1)
Group II Harp (1632–33)
N2207 (4)
Group II Portcullis (1633–34)
N2207 (5)
Group III Bell (1634–35)
N2209 (2)
Group III Crown (1635–36)
N2209 [1035 over Bell on obv]
(8)
Group III crown N2210 (1)
Group III Tun (1636–38)
N2209 (8)
Group III Tun N2210
[obv over crown] (1)
Group III Tun N2211 (2)
Group III Anchor (1638–39)
N2211 (3)
Group III Triangle (1639–40)
N2211 (1)
Group III Triangle N2212 (4)
Group A Lis (1625) N2216 (4)
Group A Cross (1625–26)
N2216 [obv. over Lis (1)
Group B Cross N2218 (2)
Group B Cross lightweight
issue N2218 [1069 dies as
Brooker 402] (2)
Group C Plume (1630–31)
N2221 (3)
Group C Rose (1631–32)
N2221 (2)
Group D Harp (1632–33)
N2223 (9)
Group D Harp N2224
[rev plume over shield; dies
as Brooker 470] (2)
Group D Portcullis (1633–34)
N2223 (7)
Group D Harp or Portcullis
N2223 (1)
Group D Bell (1634–35)
N2225 (10)
Group D Crown (1635–36)
N2225 (27)
1132–57
Group D Tun (1636–38)
N2225 (26)
1158
Group D Tun N2226
[rev plume over shield;
Brooker 508] (1)
Group D uncertain mark (1)
Group E Tun N2228 (5)
Group E Tun N2229 (7)
1159
1160–4
1165–71
1172–83
Group E Anchor (1638–39)
N2229 (12)
Weight (g)
15.14
14.79, 14.93, 14.93, 14.63
14.87, 14.66, 15.14, 14.84, 14.91
15.20, 15.09
14.91, 14.78, 14.82, 15.03, 14.93,
14.90, 14.88, 14.87
14.96
15.40, 14.30, 14.89, 15.08, 14.81,
15.11, 14.37*, 15.12
14.73
14.82, 14.77
14.64, 15.00, 15.19
15.20
14.61, 14.94, 14.94, 13.82*
5.89, 5.88, 4.75*, 6.02
6.01
5.93, 6.04
5.24, 5.28
5.85, 5.12*, 5.77
5.89, 6.09
5.90, 5.89, 5.94, 4.97*, 6.04, 5.97,
5.86, 6.05, 5.89
5.51*, 6.04
6.06, 5.10*, 5.45*, 5.27*, 5.90,
6.08, 5.17*
6.00
5.82, 6.04, 6.08, 6.03, 5.88, 6.11,
6.01, 5.17*, 5.96, 5.75*
5.70, 6.15, 5.49, 5.86, 5.92, 6.00,
6.09, 5.90, 5.89, 6.02, 6.01, 5.65*,
5.84, 6.02, 6.07, 6.01, 5.99, 5.97,
4.77*, 5.81*, 6.10, 5.90, 5.91*,
5.66*, 5.13*, 5.80, 6.04
6.08, 5.79, 5.43, 6.03, 6.11, 5.21*,
5.92, 5.69, 6.19, 6.26, 5.76, 6.10,
6.04, 6.20, 6.05, 5.75, 5.28*, 5.54,
5.87, 5.64, 5.81, 5.85, 6.05, 6.33,
6.06, 6.02
5.89
6.35#
5.90, 5.93, 5.57, 5.92, 6.03
6.09, 5.78, 6.06, 5.98, 5.93, 5.84*,
6.13
6.00, 5.99, 5.89, 5.96, 6.02, 5.89,
5.90, 6.14, 5.81, 5.33*, 6.01, 5.18*
142
Reign/coin no.
1184–95
SUGDEN AND JONES
Denomination
1196–1201
Description
Group E Anchor N2230 (12)
Group E Triangle (1639–40)
N2230 (6)
Group F Triangle N2231 (19)
1202–20
1221–34
Group F Star (1640–41)
N2231 (13)
1235–7
Group F Triangle in Circle
(1641–43) N2231 (3)
Mule: Briot’s hammered obv
with Tower rev. [as Brooker
739–40] (1)
Group A 1625 Lis N2235 (2)
Group B 1626 Cross N2236
[first 6 over 2, and 2 over 6] (1)
Group C Plumes (1630–31)
N2238 (2)
Group C Rose (1631–32)
N2238 (1)
Group D Harp (1632–33)
N2240 (3)
Group D Portcullis (1633–34)
N2240 (1)
Group D Bell (1634–35)
N2241 (3)
Group D Crown (1635–36)
N2241 (12)
Group D Tun (1636–38)
N2241 (13)
1238
Sixpence
1239–40
1241
1242–3
1244
1245–7
1248
1249–51
1252–63
1264–76
1277
Group D uncertain mark
N2241 (1)
Group E Tun N2242 (1)
Group E Tun N2243 (8)
1278
1279–86
1287–93
Group E Anchor (1638–39)
N2244 (7)
Group E Triangle (1639–40)
N2244 (2)
Group E Triangle N2245 (1)
Group E uncertain mark (1)
Group F Triangle N2246 (6)
Group F Star N2246 (5)
Aberystwyth
Book (1638–42) (1)
1294–5
1296
1297
1298–1303
1304–8
1309
Forgeries of Charles I
1310
Shilling
1311
1312
1313
1314
1315
Sixpence
Group C Plume [dies as
Brooker 1194] (1)
Group D Tun N2225 [same
hand as 1315](1)
Group E Anchor [dies as
Brooker 1202] (1)
Group E Triangle N2230 [dies
as Brooker 1205] (1)
Group E Triangle (1)
Group E Tun N2243 [same
hand as 1311] (1)
Weight (g)
6.08, 5.99, 5.91, 6.03, 5.76, 6.18,
6.02, 6.10, 4.67*, 6.06, 6.14, 5.95
5.91, 5.80, 5.99, 6.09, 5.92, 6.04
5.47*, 6.03, 5.77, 5.88, 6.13, 5.77,
5.97, 6.01, 5.98, 5.94, 6.15, 6.06,
5.94, 5.99, 6.01, 6.07, 6.04, 6.07,
6.02
5.74*, 6.09, 6.12, 5.85, 5.94, 6.03,
5.98*, 5.76*, 6.14, 5.92, 5.93, 5.94,
6.10
5.91*, 5.90*, 5.82
6.03
2.90, 2.89
2.97
2.91, 2.91
2.99
2.65*, 2.99, 3.01
2.91
2.85*, 2.87*, 2.97
2.97*, 3.01, 2.98, 3.01, 3.05, 2.99,
2.97, 3.01, 2.93*, 2.81, 3.01, 2.95*
3.00, 2.84, 2.98, 2.95, 3.15, 2.97,
2.96, 2.85*, 2.96, 3.05, 2.90, 2.98,
3.02
2.80
2.98
2.99, 2.71, 3.02, 3.00, 2.92*, 2.99,
3.34, 2.92
3.16, 3.20, 2.92, 3.32, 3.01, 3.02,
2.93
2.85, 2.85*
2.99
2.98
3.13, 3.05, 2.86*, 3.04, 3.03, 2.60*
3.03, 3.08, 3.11, 2.95, 3.05
2.99
4.60
4.35
4.59
5.59
5.35#
2.60
143
THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
SCOTTISH
Reign/coin no.
Denomination
Description
Weight (g)
James VI
1316
1317–19
1320–34
30 shillings
Thistle merk
Second issue (1)
1601 (3)
1602 (15)
1604 (1)
Uncertain date (2)
12 shillings (1)
14.53
6.51, 6.23, 5.14*
5.73, 6.30, 6.18, 6.21, 6.50, 6.32,
5.24*, 6.17, 6.09, 6.17, 6.15, 6.45,
6.28, 6.51, 6.39
6.13
5.74*, 6.31
First issue 4.90
Fourth issue (1)
Fifth issue (1)
5.13
5.99
1335
1336–7
1338
Charles I
1339
1340
12 shillings
IRISH
James I
1341–52
Shilling
Bell (12)
1353–7
1358–64
Martlet (5)
Rose (7)
1365–6
Escallop (2)
4.17, 3.50, 4.22, 3.94, 4.00, 3.89,
4.08, 4.24, 4.17, 4.40, 3.94, 3.92
3.73, 3.97, 4.02, 4.09, 4.13
4.35, 4.09, 4.35, 3.91, 3.82, 3.80,
4.07
4.22, 4.02
SUMMARY A
Total unclipped/undamaged
Sixpence
Elizabeth I
1561
1561–82
1583–1600
1562–1600
1601–02
James I
Charles I
Shilling
Halfcrown
1
2
3
1
2
3
–
2.72 g
2.84 g
–
265
69
–
87.5%
91.2%
5.64 g
53
90.7%
2.87 g
2.83 g
2.99 g
9
46
60
95.3%
94.0%
99.5%
5.85 g
5.73 g
5.78 g
5.95 g
89
10
93
147
94.1%
95.2%
95.9%
98.9%
1
2
3
14.90 g
42
99.0%
Total excluding damaged
Sixpence
Elizabeth I
1561
1561–82
1583–1600
1562–1600
1601–02
James I
Charles I
Shilling
Halfcrown
1
2
3
1
2
3
–
2.65 g
2.75 g
–
379
109
–
85.2%
88.5%
5.40 g
80
86.8%
2.82 g
2.77 g
2.97 g
13
61
71
93.6%
91.9%
98.7%
5.69 g
5.60 g
5.61 g
5.87 g
120
14
133
175
91.5%
93.0%
93.3%
97.5%
1
2
3
14.87 g
44
98.8%
144
SUGDEN AND JONES
SUMMARY B
Total unclipped/undamaged
Sixpence
Elizabeth I
1561
1561–83
1583–1603
Whole reign
James I
Charles I
Shilling
Halfcrown
1
2
3
1
2
3
–
2.72 g
2.84 g
2.75 g
2.83 g
2.99 g
–
265
78
343
46
60
–
90.4%
94.3%
91.3%
94.0%
99.5%
5.64 g
53
93.6%
5.84 g
5.77 g
5.78 g
5.95 g
99
152
93
147
97.0%
95.8%
95.9%
98.9%
1
2
3
14.90 g
42
99.0%
Total excluding damaged
Sixpence
Elizabeth I
1561
1561–83
1583–1603
Whole reign
James I
Charles I
Shilling
Halfcrown
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
–
2.65 g
2.76 g
2.68 g
2.77 g
2.97 g
–
379
122
501
61
71
–
88.1%
91.6%
88.9%
91.9%
98.7%
5.40 g
5.68 g
5.57 g
5.61 g
5.87 g
80
134
214
133
175
89.6%
94.3%
92.6%
93.3%
97.5%
14.87 g
44
98.8%
APPENDIX 2
Prestbury Coin Hoard Pot
PETER CONNELLY
THE vessel which contained the Prestbury coin hoard (Fig. 1) would appear to be a typical large
cylindrical storage jar of the mid- to late seventeenth century. The storage vessel, in six fragments, measures 16 cm deep and 15.5 cm in diameter; the wall of the vessel is almost vertical,
although it tapers slightly towards the rim. The rim is simple in form, with only a slight lip and
a shallow internal lid seating. The base of the vessel is slightly concave in shape, but, judging
from the obvious cracking apparent in the base, the concave shape is unintentional, and may
have happened before the vessel dried. The fabric is a relatively homogenous, almost vitrified,
oxidized, dark purplish red colour, although the exterior of the vessel is more of a lightish yellowish red colour than the interior. The fabric appears to contain frequent rounded quartz
inclusions up to c.5 mm in diameter and very occasional sub-rounded grog(?) inclusions up to
6 mm in diameter.
The exterior of the vessel is unglazed with only traces of splash and smeared lead glaze
adhering to the external base of the vessel; these patches of glazing would appear to be accidental. The interior base of the vessel has been completely glazed in a dark brown lead glaze.
The glaze upon the base has lipped c.10 mm up the wall of the vessel, and has also splashed
the interior wall in places. The interior glazing of the vessel may have been carried out to seal
the cracks that had appeared in its base as it sagged whilst still soft, thus sealing and ensuring
the watertight integrity of the vessel.
Examples of this pottery form were excavated from the period 7 (Civil War) deposits at
Beeston Castle.13 Although these vessels are described as ‘Midland Purple’ in the Beeston Castle
1968–85 excavation report, the Prestbury coin hoard pot is more than likely to have been locally
manufactured, and may be more closely related to the Northwest Purple tradition, which is
believed to have evolved out of the Midland Purple tradition.
13
Ellis 1993, 203 and Fig. 134.
THE PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD
Fig. 1.
145
Prestbury coin hoard pot (by kind permission of Dix Noonan Webb).
The dark staining on the exterior of the base of the vessel may be remnant evidence for
sooting, which may suggest that this vessel may have also been used as a cooking pot, although
it is more likely to be staining through the pot resting on soil surfaces.
In all, the terminus date range of 1642–43 within the coin assemblage would perfectly fit
with a mid-seventeenth-century production date for the storage vessel.
REFERENCE
Ellis, P., 1993. Beeston Castle, Cheshire. Excavations by Laurence Keen & Peter Hough, 1968–85, English Heritage
Archaeological Report 23 (London).
PLATE 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
SUGDEN AND JONES: PRESTBURY CIVIL WAR HOARD