Coins of William II from the Stainmore (Cumbria) Hoard

William II (1087-1100), Cross in Quatrefoil type [BMC 2], Penny, possibly Southwark, Leofweard, lifpord on sii[?], 1.11g/9h (Allen 2022, p.181; cf. EMC 1200.0670; N 852; S 1259). Slightly crimped, about very fine, rare £400-£600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Coins of William II from the Stainmore (Cumbria) Hoard.

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Collection

The following 13 lots represent the majority of a small hoard, mostly found in March 2017 and later declared Treasure [2019-T745]. (One additional coin was found in April 2024). They are also recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database - LANCUM 7C7E2D. They have since been disclaimed and returned to the finder.
There appears to be no savings element to the hoard; they represent a tight chronological group of coinage in circulation at the time of burial. Without exception, they are of William Rufus’s Cross-in-Quatrefoil type [BMC 2], conventionally dated to the period c. 1089-1092. Although carelessly struck, they are relatively unworn and it would be reasonable to assume that they were buried in the early- to mid-1090s. The standard of lettering and striking deteriorates quite sharply during William II’s reign, the letters A, I, M, N, U, V, all descending into a series of upright strokes. This makes attribution more difficult and many of the following identifications are therefore somewhat tentative.
Stainmore is a remote rural parish in the Westmorland and Furness area of Cumbria near the border with County Durham and North Yorkshire, an area which in the late 11th century was disputed between the kings of England and Scotland. Having been in Scots’ hands at the time of Domesday, Carlisle (around 40 miles north west of Stainmore) was taken by the English king in 1092 and it is possible that the hoard may be associated with military movements in the area at the time.
The original report states that on discovery there were 12 Pennies, 7 cut halfpence, 2 cut farthings and 13 fragments and some coins have broken subsequently. It is unlikely that the silver content is substandard; environmental and soil conditions are the likely cause of their fragility, It must be stated clearly that the lots being offered here are all in a fragile state. This has been reflected in the pre-sale estimates.