Rare Victorian silver coin mounted tankard and box marked for London 1896 by Daniel & John Welby.
The tankard and box were made using coins discovered as part of a treasure trove in 1896. The treasure amounting to 1,885 silver coins was discovered in the ceiling of a room above the vestry of Crediton Church in Devonshire. Hidden in about 1685 they went undiscovered until workmen who were doing some alterations broke through the ceiling and ruptured an old leather bag and the coins amounting to about nineteen pounds of silver showered down. What makes these two pieces so interesting is that the story is inscribed on the base of the tankard. Under the law of the day known as “Treasure Trove” any gold or silver that was found hidden belonged to the Crown and the local coroner would hold an inquest in order to decide whether it was treasure or not. As the Church, the governors of the Church headed by Redvers Buller as Lord of the Manor, and the workman all had an interest in the treasure the inquest was duly held. The main legal argument within the inquest was whether the coins were merely being stored in the church or had in actual fact been hidden and then forgotten and would constitute treasure.
Along with the tankard and box we have copies of portions of the inquest and this gives us a fascinating glimpse into the world of buried treasure and what happens when it comes to light.
Dimensions:
Tankard- 18.4 cm high by 21.5 cm handle to end by 14 cm base diameter. – Weight: 1.331 Kg
Box- 19.2 cm long by 9.9 cm deep by 6 cm high.- Weight: 698 grams.
Tankard:
The base is inscribed as follows:
“These coins formed part
of a Treasure Trove in November 1896,
between the ceiling of the Plummery & the floor
of the Governor’s Room in Crediton Church.
The Lord of the Manor claimed the Treasure
Under a Grant of the Franchise from Queen Elizabeth.
On the Treasury refusing to recognize his claim
unless endorsed by a law suit
he accepted, as a compromise,
permission to select from the Treasure
enough Coins to make
a box & a tankard.
Lid- Center coin- Charles II milled Halfcrown dated 1679, 32 mm – F 140 GBP
Clockwise from right of thumb piece-
1- James I Sixpence dated 1609, Second coinage, mintmark ?, 27 mm – F 60 GBP
2 – Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1590, Sixth issue, mintmark Hand (86), 26 mm – F 55 GBP
3 –James I Shilling (cut down), 1603-1624, 26 mm – F 30 GBP
4 – Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1575, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Eglantine (27), 26 mm – F 50 GBP
5 – Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1580, Fifth issue, mintmark Latin Cross, 26 mm – F 50 GBP
6 – Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1574, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Eglantine (27), 26 mm – F 50 GBP
Body- Top row from handle & hallmark-
1-Charles I Shilling, mintmark Eye, 30mm, 1625-1649 – F 40 GBP
2- Elizabeth I Shilling, Sixth issue, mintmark 0 for 1600, 28mm – F 100 GBP
3- Charles I Shilling, York 1643- 1644, Mintmark Lion, 30 mm – F 275 GBP
4- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle, 1641- 1643, 30 mm – F 40 GBP
5- Charles I Shilling, 1625 -1649, 30 mm – F 40 GBP
6- Charles I Shilling, 1625 -1649, 30 mm – F 40 GBP
7- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle, 1641- 1643, 30 mm – F 40 GBP
8- Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1576, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Eglantine (27), 26mm – F 50 GBP
9- James I Shilling-31 mm, 1603-1625 -F -50 GBP
Middle row from middle of handle-
1- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle, 1639- 1640, 30 mm – F 55 GBP
2- James I Shilling, Second coinage, mintmark Bell, 1610-1611, 31mm – F 75 GBP
3- James I Shilling, Second coinage, mintmark Grapes, 1607, 31 mm – F 75 GBP
4 – Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Sun, 1645- 1646, 31 mm – F 40 GBP
5 – Elizabeth I Shilling, Sixth issue, mintmark 0 for 1600, 30mm – F 100 GBP
6 – Charles I Halfcrown, 1625-1649, 33mm – F 85 GBP
7 – Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle, 1641- 1643, 30 mm- F 40 GBP
8 – Charles II milled Halfcrown dated 1673, 32 mm – F 140 GBP
9- unidentified, 31 mm
Bottom row from handle below hallmark-
1- Charles II milled Halfcrown dated 1677, 32 mm -F 130 GBP
2 – Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark Harp, 1632-1633, 34mm – F 85 GBP
3- Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark P in brackets, 1643-1644, 34mm – F 60 GBP
4- Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle, 1639-1640, 34mm – F 60 GBP
5- Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle, 1641-1643, 36mm – F 65 GBP
6- unidentified ,34 mm- could be Charles I Halfcrown from Aberystwyth-Furnace,1648-9,mintmark Crown
7 – Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle, 1639-1640, 34mm – F 60 GBP
8 – Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark R in brackets, 1644-1645, 34mm – F 60 GBP
9 – unidentified,34 mm- could be Charles I Halfcrown from Aberystwyth-Furnace,1648-9,mintmark Crown
Total coins- 34
Cigarette Box-(Read all left to right)
Lid- First top row-
1- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Crown,1635-1636, 31 mm- Oval shield -check!!-same coin as
No3 but shield differs- F ? GBP
2- Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1579, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Eglantine (27), 26 mm –first year of
5th issue, should have changed mintmark, F 50 GBP ?
3- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark, Crown,1635-1636, 31mm- F 95 GBP
Middle row-
1- Charles I Halfcrown,? mint, mintmark ?, 34mm F 65 GBP
2- Charles II hammered Halfcrown, mintmark Crown, 1660-1662, 34 mm – F 225 GBP
3- James I Halfcrown (?), mintmark Thistle (?),1621-1623, 34 mm – F 200 GBP
4- Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark Tun, 1636- 1638, 34mm – F 70 GBP
Bottom row-
1- James I Sixpence dated 1609, Second coinage, mintmark ?, 26 mm – F 60 GBP
2- Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1574, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Eglantine (27), 26 mm – F 50 GBP
3- Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1561, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark ?, 26 mm – F 60 GBP
Front panel –
1- Elizabeth I Shilling, Seventh issue, mintmark 2 for 1602, 30mm – F 125 GBP
2 – Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle,1639-1640, 31mm- F 55 GBP
3 – James I Shilling 27 mm, 1603-1624 – F 30 GBP
4- Charles I Shilling, 1625-1649, 31mm- F 55 GBP
5- James I Shilling, Third coinage, mintmark Trefoill, 1624, 31mm – F 85 GBP
Back panel –
1- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle,1641-1643, 31mm- F 40 GBP
2- Charles I Halfcrown, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle, 1641-1643, 34mm – F 65 GBP
3- Elizabeth I Sixpence date rubbed, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Castle-1587-1589,no inner circle ?
26 mm – F 60 GBP
4- James I Shilling, Second coinage, mintmark Tun, 1615-1616, 29 mm, 1603-1624 – F 80 GBP
5- Elizabeth I Shilling, Second issue, mintmark Cross crosslet for 1560- 1561, 33mm – F 125 GBP
Left panel-
1- James I Shilling, Second coinage, mintmark Coronet, 1607-1609, 29 mm – F 80 GBP
2- Elizabeth I Sixpence dated 1571, Third & Fourth issue, mintmark Castle, 26mm – F 60 GBP
3- Elizabeth I Shilling, mintmark rubbed, 1560-1600, 30mm – F 100 GBP
Right panel-
1- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle,1641-1643, 31mm- F 40 GBP
2- James I Sixpence dated 1604, Second coinage, mintmark ?, 23 mm – F 50 GBP
3- Charles I Shilling, Tower mint, mintmark Triangle in circle,1641-1643, 29mm- F 40 GBP
Total value of coins ( excluding 4 – unidentified) – GBP 4130.00
Elizabeth I – 1558-1603-
Three half pence- 16-17 mm
Threepence- 17,75-18,25 mm
Groat – 23,5-24,25 mm
Sixpence- 24-25,5 mm
Shilling 29,5-31,5 mm
James I – 1603-1625
Charles I – 1625- 1649
Charles II- 1660 -1685
Sixpence- 21,25-21,76 mm
Shilling- 25 – 25,5 mm
Half Crown – 32mm
Crown – 38,25- 38,75 mm
Elizabeth I – 1558-1603
James I – 1603-1625
Charles I – 1625- 1649
Charles II- 1660 -1685