MEDIEVAL ENGLISH DIE-OUTPUT MARTIN ALLEN THE medieval English coinage is an exceptionally rich source of data for the estimation of the average outputs of dies, which is a subject of great interest to students of ancient as well as medieval coinages.1 The importance of these data was first fully realised in the 1960s, when three major articles on medieval English dies and their output appeared in the Numismatic Chronicle. In 1963 Ian Stewart (now Lord Stewartby) estimated the average outputs of penny dies at the Bristol mint in 1300 and the Newcastle mint in 1300-2, and the combined average outputs of groat, half- groat and penny dies in York in 1353-5.2 In the following year he published new estimates for Chester in 1300 and Bury St Edmunds in the 1280s, and modified his estimates for Bristol and Newcastle.3 Finally, in 1969 Mavis Mate used previously unpublished documentary evidence for numbers of dies supplied to calculate the average outputs of obverse dies at the London and Canterbury mints between 1281 and 1327, and new figures for six other mints in 1300.4 More recently, John Brand calculated the average outputs of obverse and reverse dies at the Shrewsbury mint in 1249-50, and the posthumous publication of George Tatler's work on the Bury St Edmunds mint provided new estimates for the 1280s and 1290s.5 T.G. Webb Ware has estimated the average outputs of obverse and reverse dies for gold angels in 1471-82.6 There is now a need for a survey of the accumulated evidence for medieval English die-output, which will show that most of the existing estimates need revision, and a new estimate for the fifteenth century will be provided. Estimates of die-output are dependent upon two kinds of data: numbers of dies used and mint outputs. The principal source of mint output data for estimates of medieval English die-output in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries is the mint accounts originally published in summary by C.G. Crump and C. Johnson.7 The estimates of Mate and Stewart were based upon these data, but they failed to take into account the fact that Crump's and Johnson's figures refer to weights of coins issued (expressed in pounds, shillings and pence), which are always less than the actual amounts of coins issued, reckoned at their nominal value. C.E. Challis has published summaries of the recorded English mint outputs from 1220, including allowances for this factor, which might be used to calculate revised estimates of die-output.8 Unfortunately, Challis's summaries also require revision for the period between 1280 and 1351, and most particularly with respect to the halfpenny and farthing outputs. The exceptionally large halfpenny output of 1 January to 18 May 1280 (£36,410) is a penny output misinterpreted by Crump and Johnson.9 Challis used Acknowledgements The preparation of this article owed much to discussions of the subject with Dr Mark Blackburn and Prof. T.V. Buttrey. Mr T.G. Webb Ware has provided information from his unpublished die-studies of fifteenth-century groats. 1 T.V. Buttrey, 'Calculating ancient coin production: facts and fantasies', NC 153 (1993), 335-51, at pp. 339-45; T.V. Buttrey, 'Calculating ancient coin production. II: why it cannot be done', NC 154 (1994), 341-52, at pp. 342-50. 2 B.H.I.H. Stewart. 'Medieval die-output: two calculations for English mints in the fourteenth century', WC7 3 (1963), 97-106. 3 B.H.I.H. Stewart, 'Second thoughts on medieval die-output', NC1 4 (1964), 293-303. 4 M. Mate, 'Coin dies under Edward I and II', NC7 9 (1969), 207-18. 5 J.D. Brand, 'The Shrewsbury mint, 1249-50', in R.A.G. Carson (editor). Mints, Dies and Currency: Essays in Memory of Albert Baldwin (London, 1971), pp. 129-50, at pp. 135, 139-40; G.L.V. Tatler, 'The Bury coinage of Edward I with the name of Robert de Hadeleie', BNJ 68 (1998), 64-76, at p. 73 6 T.G. Webb Ware, 'Dies and designs: the English gold coinage 1465-1485. Part V, BNJ 55 (1985), 95-133, at p. 113. 7 C.G. Crump and C. Johnson, 'Tables of bullion coined under Edward I, II, and III', NC3 (1913), 200^15. 8 C.E. Challis (editor), A New History of the Royal Mint (Cambridge, 1992), pp. 673-758. 9 The mint account of 1 Jan. 1280-18 May 1280 records this output separately because it was derived from English silver, which was charged at a higher rate than foreign silver, and the account does not mention halfpence (Public Record Office, E 372/132, rot. 3 m. 2). The issue of halfpence began on 15 Aug. 1280 (H.B.E. Fox and S. Fox. 'Numismatic history of the reigns of Edward I. II, and III [part 2]', BNJ7 (1910), 91-142. at p. 104). 40 MEDIEVAL ENGLISH DIE-OUTPUT one standard rate for the coins minted from a pound of silver between 1280 and 1335 (243c/.), although Crump and Johnson recorded a number of different rates for halfpence and farthings.10 Tables 1 and 2 provide new estimates of the halfpenny and farthing outputs of the London mint in 1280-1351, which address these problems and incorporate a number of minor revisions. Table 3 converts the penny, halfpenny and farthing outputs of London and Canterbury in 1281-1327 into estimates of the numbers of coins issued, using the same mint account periods as Mate's article." TABLE 1. London mint halfpenny output, 1280-1351 Period Coins per lb. Crump and Challis Revised Johnson 1 Jan. 1280-18 May 1280 243d. £35,961 0s. 0d.12 £36,410 nil 18 May 1280-18 Oct. 1280 243d. £2,690 05. Od. £2,724 £2,724 18 Oct. 1280-25 Dec. 1280° 2A2\d.-2A3d. £860 05. Od. £871 £868-£871 25 Dec. 1280-13 Apr. 1281 2A2\d.-2A3d. £225 05. Od. £228 £227-£228 13 Apr. 1281-15 July 1281 243d. £280 0i. Od. £284 £284 15 July 1281-29 Sept. 1281 243d. £960 05. Od. £972 £972 30 Sept. 1281-21 Oct. 1283 - nil nil nil 21 Oct. 1283-20 May 1285 - nil nil nil 20 May 1285-15 Aug. 1286 243d. £490 05. Od. £496 £496 15 Aug. 1286-15 June 1287 243d. £250 0^. Od. £253 £253 15 June 1287-3 Nov. 1287 243d. £156 Os. Od. £158 £158 3 Nov. 1287-3 Nov. 1288 243d. £21005. Od. £213 £213 3 Nov. 1288-17 Apr. 1290 243d. £120 0i. Od. £122 £122 17 Apr. 1290-14 July 1290 243d. £60 05. Od. £61 £61 15 July 1290-14 July 1291 243d. £200 05. Od. £203 £203 2 Sept. 1291-29 Sept. 1292 243d. £90 05. Od. £91 £91 30 Sept. 1292-29 Sept. 1293 243d. £60 05. Od. £61 £61 30 Sept. 1293-29 Sept. 1294 - nil nil nil 30 Sept. 1294-29 Sept. 1295 243d. £20 05. Od. £20 £20 30 Sept. 1295-29 Sept. 1296 243d. £280 05. Od. £284 £284 30 Sept. 1296-29 Sept. 1297 243d. £100 05. Od. £11114 £101 30 Sept. 1297-14 Oct. 1298 243d. £180 05. Od. £182 £182 15 Oct. 1298-29 Sept. 1299 - nil nil nil 30 Sept. 1299-29 Sept. 1300 - nil nil nil 30 Sept. 1300-29 Sept. 1301 243d. £370 05. Od. £375 £375 30 Sept. 1301-29 Sept. 1302 243d. nil £1,60015 nil 30 Sept. 1302-29 Sept. 1303 243d. £60 0j. Od. £61 £61 30 Sept. 1303-29 Sept. 1304 243d. £50 05. Od. £51 £51 30 Sept. 1304-29 Sept. 1305 243d. £30 05. Od. £30 £30 30 Sept. 1305-29 Sept. 1306 243d. £40 05. Od. £41 £41 30 Sept. 1306-19 Sept. 1307 243d. £30 05. Od. £30 £30 19 Sept. 1307-29 Sept. 1308 243d. nil nil nil 30 Sept. 1308-29 Sept. 1309 245|d.-246d. £90 05. Od. £91 £92 30 Sept. 1309-29 Sept. 1310 - - £3016 £30 23 Oct. 1311-29 Sept. 1312 - nil nil nil 30 Sept. 1312-29 Sept. 1313 243H £20 05. Od. £20 £20 30 Sept. 1313-29 Sept. 1314 - nil £45617 nil 10 See the rates listed in Tables 1 and 2. Challis (as in n.8), p. 673, acknowledges the problem presented by the variable rates for halfpence and farthings. 11 The numbers of coins are only estimates, as they are based upon mint outputs rounded to the nearest pound. 12 Penny output, charged at the rate for English silver (7d.); see n.9, above. 13 Challis (as in n.8), p. 675, lists outputs for 18 Oct. 1280-24 Feb. 1281 and 24 Feb. 1281-13 Apr. 1281, but Crump and Johnson (as in n.7), p. 207, note that the two periods of issue in the accounts of 18 Oct. 1280-13 Apr. 1281 were before and after Christmas. 14 Presumably a typographical error. 15 The farthing output of 1301/2 listed as a halfpenny output in error. 16 Challis (as in n.8), p. 677, n.5, cites unpublished bullion figures for 1309-11 provided by J.D. Brand. 17 Farthing output listed as halfpenny output. MEDIEVAL ENGLISH DIE-OUTPUT 30 Sept. 1314-30 Sept. 1315 247d. £40 0s. Od. £41 £41 1 Oct. 1315-28 Sept. 1316 2Ald. £60 0j. Od. + £253 £257-£258 247d.-248d. £190 05. Od. 29 Sept. 1316-30 Sept. 1317 242d.-242|d. £50 05. Od. + £81 £81 246d.-246id. £30 05. Od. 1 Oct. 1317-30 Sept. 1318 247d.