AR denier, 21mm, 1.155g. Obv: RICARDVS,  central + with four besants. Rev: ROTOMACVS, with 'c' on its side, central temple avec besant au center du fronton. Mint is Rouen. Dumas 773-2669. There were 46 of these coins in the 1.15 weight category, of a total of 332 of all Richard types in this weight category. This is the most common of the Fecamp coins. Dumas 773-2669. This was identified as 'ex Fecamp.' Not in R, PdA.

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AR denier, 20mm, 1.16gr. Obv: + RICARDVSI, central cross with four besants. Rev: +ROTOMACVS, central temple with besants in pediment, on the sides and in the lower section. Dumas 773-2669.

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AR denier, 20mm, 1.249gr. Obv: RICARDVSI, central cross with four besants. Rev: ROTOMA_VS, central temple. Mint is Rouen. Dumas 21 - 772 (36 of this weight); Dup 17.

AR denier, 20mm, 1.15gr. Obv: RICARDVS, central cross with four besants. Rev: ROTOMANAaVS, central Carolingian inspired monogram, formed from G, T, H. Dumas 4147-6047. Mint is Rouen. A common Fecamp coin, with about 90 found in this weight.

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AR denier, 20mm, 1.07gr.  Obv: +RICHARDVS, central cross in a solid circle, besants in each quadrant. The legend is stylized. Rev: +ROTOMACIVS, central monogram. Mint is Rouen. The difference between the coins of Richard and Hugues issued in Richard's name is the fact that Richard generally has a temple in the reverse field while Hugues has a Carolingian style monogram in the reverse field. Fecamp.  Dumas 3260-6041. Not in Roberts, Boud, Bel, PdA. Legros 207-212.

This coinage is a significant development in French history. From Bates (p28-9) ".. The fact that these coins were produced demonstrates (Norman) integration in to the Frankish environment: the right to control the minting of money, once a monopoly of earlier Carolingian emperors and kings was in the process of passing to territorial princes and others lower on the social scale during the tenth century." It is part of the marking of the end of Carolingian control and part of the onset of a rich profusion of feudal coinage lasting until the final emergence of modern France centuries hence. This coinage from Rouen was very much in a Carolingian style, reflecting Norman connectedness with west Francia.

In 911 Charles III (The Simple) gave a grant of land in Normandy to the Viking invader Rollo, in an effort to buy him off from further predation in France. He held this territory, as did his heir, William Longsword, often in conflict with his neighbors and other Vikings. When William was murdered in 942 he was succeeded by his young son (by a Breton mistress), Richard I. Richard's reign is a period of initially a fight for the survival of the Norman land grant and after this was assured by the 950s, subsequently a process of Francification, in culture, government and orientation. He became involved in Frankish politics, allying himself with Hugh Capet in the capture of Melun and later with with Odo of Blois-Chartres against Fulk III of Anjou (987-1040). He is recognized as a vassal of Hugh Capet. He is also recognized for the refounding of the abbey of Mont St Michel, destroyed by earlier Viking incursions. Source: Bates

AR denier, 20mm, .77gr. Obv: degenerate legend, cross and other design elements. Rev: degenerate legend, 3 fontons de temple motif. Mint is Rouen. R4812(?); Boud 8 (rarity=3); PdA 149, V 14 which shows a central cross among the three fontons. This coin has an unclear central design element. PdA includes this in his Categorie 9, 'legends completement barbares.'. Dy 28v, which has four besants in the cross. This coin has design elements in the cross but they are clearly not besants. The obverse is closer to PdA 149 which as two besants and two x's in the cross. The condition of the coin makes this somewhat hard to place by the Dumas categorizations. It seems to be one of two possibilities. Dumas 1979 places this coin either Plate XVII 1, which dates to Richard II and is in her Group A or Plate XIX 6 which is later in Group B/C (1050-1075) which places this with Wm the C. The Plate XVII possibility has design elements in the cross that are not besants but a more open space among the fontons. The Plate XIX version has a cross in the center among the fontons but two besants in the cross and two x's. The fonton side matches closer to a later (William) coin but the cross side matches closer to the Richard II coin. Dumas (1979 p. 92) characterizes the William coinage of this type as reflecting "une grande negligence apparut dans la fabrication." Legros shows no coin matching to PdA 149 or either of the Dumas plate numbers. He places similar, but not exact designs as falling somewhere between Richard II and William the Conqueror. Weight-wise, it is on the very light end of the Richard coins LeGros presents and more consistent with the weight of the Wm the C. coins he presents. See Legros 286, .77 grams for a possible match. He cites St Paul hors-les Murs, 1050 - 1060, as a match. He places this as Wm the C. and RRR. Seller ID (professional French numismatists) was Richard II but I am now skeptical - most Richard II coins weigh more, in the rangle of .9 to 1 gram. I am unsure so will leave it here as possibly an earlier coin, but with a question mark. Another reason to question the Richard II attribution is the overall condition of the coin. It is more consistent with later, rather than earlier Norman coinage. Looking at the several Norman coins presented here, for this to be Richard II, Norman coinage would have to had experienced a significant deterioration during his reign and a recovery under William. Advice welcome.

William the Conqueror (1035-87)

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AR denier, 21mm, 1.25gr. Obv: CO/O-, three fontons. Rev: degenerate legend, central cross with four besants. Mint is Rouen. Legros 284 as William the Conqueror and notes this type was found in a hoard laid down 1050-60 at St-Paul-hors-les-Murs (Italy). PdA 153 (V-18) as anonymous with the title of duc of Normandy. Dumas (1979 p92) Group B, also dated to St. Paul hors-les-Murs and "anterieur a la conquete de l'Angleterre et pourrait donc refleter le monnayage de la Normandie sous Guillaume le Batard." Dep 27v as Richard II and successors.

Anonymous Ducs of Normandy: 11th and 12th C

Who were these ‘anonymous dukes?’ Robert, William Rufus and Henri Beauclerc were all sons of William the Conqueror. Robert was the oldest and the designated heir of Normandy. William Rufus was the designated heir in England and the opportunistic Henri was not designated to receive either title but ended up with both. As compensation for not having a proposed title, his father “bequeathed immense treasure.” (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles 1087)

Robert had a fractious relationship with his father and rebelled against him on two occasions. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle (ASC) for 1079 recounts one of these: “This year Robert, the son of king William, deserted from his father to his uncle Robert of Flanders; because his father would not let him govern his earldom in Normandy; which he himself and also king Philip with his permission had given him. The best men that were in the land had also sworn oaths of allegiance and taken him as their lord. This year Robert fought with his father, without Normandy, by a castle called Gerberoy … and wounded him in the hand; his horse that he sat upon was killed under him … Many were slain and also taken. His son William was also wounded but Robert returned to Flanders.” His rebellions were put down and he was exiled to Italy, where the Normans were establishing territorial claims.

On William’s death (in Normandy) Robert returned to Normandy but was apparently not a competent ruler and had difficulty controlling his vassals. He also contested for the throne in England and instigated rebellion among the English against William Rufus, but never succeeded in landing there himself. Wm Rufus prevailed.

Robert was unsuccessful in thwarting invasions in 1090/1 and 1094 by his brother William and was forced to cede Normandy to William. According to the ASC 1090, when Wm Rufus invaded and seized lands, Robert turned to Philip of France for help. However, Rufus made his own arrangements with Philip and Philip abandoned Robert, leaving much of Normandy in William’s hands. A brief reconciliation in 1091 left Robert and Wm Rufus with an agreement that if either died without an heir, the other would inherit their respective lands. This agreement collapsed in 1094 when Wm Rufus again entered Normandy and controlled it. Robert, abandoned by Philip, was effectively disinherited. The ASC continued this conflict into 1095. The ASC places Wm Rufus’ purchase of Normandy from Robert in 1096, when Robert went off on crusade.

Wm Rufus died in 1100, when he was “shot in hunting, by an arrow from his own men.” (ASC 1100) The Chronicle goes to say “He was very harsh and severe over his lands and his men, and with all his neighbors; and very formidable; and through the counsels of evil men … and though his own avarice, he was ever tiring this nation with an army, and with unjust contributions… he was loathed by nearly all his people and odious to God, as his end testified; for he departed in the midst of his unrighteousness, without any power of repentance or recompense for his deeds.” Clearly he was not missed.

While Robert was generally unsuccessful as a ruler in Normandy, he was an effective crusader and participated in the First Crusade. He participated in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099 and distinguished himself at the battle of Ascalon, also in 1099. He was on his way home and in Italy when Wm Rufus died. Before he could get home, Henri seized the throne in England. Robert was welcomed in Normandy but not in England. Robert mounted an unsuccessful invasion of England and was in turn invaded by Henri. There was on and off conflict between the brothers in Normandy over the next several years until the final resolution in 1106. He was defeated at Tinchebrai on Sept. 28, 1106 and spent the rest of his life as a prisoner in England. He died at Cardiff Castle in 1134.

While the brothers found themselves in conflict, each had a similar aim. They all wanted to maintain the unity of Normandy and England, as it had been under their father. The conflict was over who should be the unifier. Henri Beauclerc, who ruled as Henry I of England, prevailed.

(The major sources for this discussion are the Anglo Saxon Chronicles, The Cambridge Medieval History IV and online Encyclopedia Britannica.)

Dumas group C (1075-1135) William the Conqueror (1035-87), Robert II Courteheuse (Curthose in English), (1087-96), William Ruffus (1096-1100), Henri I (1100-35)

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AR denier, .73 gr., 19mm. Obv: fronton with central besant bracketed by two 'S' and two circles. Rev: central cross, four besants, illegible legend. Mint is likely Rouen. PdA 134, IV 20, 8th category, anonymous with the title 'de ducs de Normandie.' This links to LeGros 349 and is 'C,' as in common. Also a possibility is LeGros 348 which links to PdA 135, IV 21, a variation indistinguishable to me. Legros 348 weighs .64gr and is classified 'R.' This type was found in the Tresor de Nus. Legros ties this coin to Robert II Courteheuse (1087-1106), placing it at the end of the 11th and start of the 12th centuries. Dumas 1979 as Group C, Plate XX 4. Similar coins were minted in both Rouen and Bayeux with Rouen being the more important center and likely actual mint. Dumas gives the likely legend as a variety of NORMAN DVX. She describes the general character of the series like this (p92) "Leur aspect est execrable." Her Plate XX 10-11 identifies those coins as among the oldest in the series commencing before the death of William the Conqueror. Given that her plates are arranged chronologically, this coin is likely William the Conqueror or Robert II.

Dumas group C (1075-1135)

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AR denier, .68gr, 18mm. Obv: fronton with central besant bracketed by two 'S' and two circles. Rev: central cross, four besants, illegible legend. Mint is likely Rouen. PdA 134, IV 21 and 'C.' Legros 349 who he ties to Robert II Courteheuse. This coin is similar to the previous coin. It chipped and has a hole top left but offers a cleaner view of the obverse design, with the two S's, left retrograde, and circles much clearer. Likewise, the lower design, a horizonal bar with four vertical posts, is also clearer. Dumas 1979 Plate XX 4.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier .87gr, 20mm. Obv: central annelet, three fontons with besants, bracketed by annelets. Rev: central cross with besants, legend illegible but likely a variation on NORMAN DVX. Mint is Rouen or Bayeux. PdA 153v, V 18; Legros 395 and 'C,' as in common. He ties this coin to Henri I Beauclerc and the Tresor de Nus in Italy. Dumas 1979 Group C Plate XX 16. Group C description as above.

Anonymous dukes and the Tresor of Harim/Harenc

This next group of eight coins were part of the tresor de Harim/Harenc. This was about a 4000 coin hoard buried in Syria, with 14 of these coins being Norman deniers. The hoard was laid down about 1164. It came to the English and American market in 2006. These coins are generally very worn and heavily clipped, many being reduced to obole size. They traveled a long way with crusaders from where they were minted to finally end up in the Middle East. Their weights are lower than the anonymous ducal coins presented just above.

Dumas Group B/C (1050-1075) which dates to Wm the Conqueror

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Billon denier, .46gr., 16mm. Obv: two fontons over design with annulets. Rev: cross with four besants, obscure barbarous legend, heavily clipped. Moesgaard, Singer and Woodhead (BSFN 6/11 #1). Legros 308 as R. He links this to the tresor de Chateaunef-sur-Cher, France, mid 11th century. PdA 174 VI 18; Dumas 1979 XIX 3. The coin is actually very bright in appearance and has been color adjusted to offer some contrast to see detail.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier 18mm, .62gr. Obv: fonton with besant, large central circle with radiating T's. Rev: cross with four besants, obscured legend. Coin is clipped. Moesgaard et al (BSFN 6/11) coin 6. They note two similar examples in the Cabinet des Medialles de Bruxelles from a trsor of unknown origin. Dumas 1979 XX 5; Legros 391 as Henri Beauclerc (1106-35) and R. He cites similar coins in the tresor de Nus and dates the coin to the first half of the 12th C. The coin is actually very bright in appearance and has been color adjusted to offer some contrast to see detail.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier .57gr, 15mm. Obv: fonton with besant over cross. Rev: cross, obscure legend. Coin is heavily clipped. Mint is Rouen or Bayeux. Moesgaard et al BSFN 5; Dumas 1979 XX 4; PdA 134, IV 20; Legros 349-50 tied to Robert II courteheuse (1087-1106) and the tresor de Nus - Italy laid down in the first 1/2 of the 12th century. The coin is bright and has been color adjusted to create a contrast so it is easier to see the detail.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier .43gr, 14mm. Obv: central annulet. Rev: cross with four besants. Coin is heavily clipped. Mint is Rouen or Bayeux. Moesgaard et al BSFN 12; Dumas 1979 XX 24; Legros 340 tied to Robert II Courteheuse and the tresor de Nus. The coin is bright and has been color adjusted to create a contrast so it is easier to see the detail.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier .43gr, 15mm. Obv: fonton with besant and cross type design with two besants. Rev: cross with four besants. Coin is heavily clipped. Mint is Rouen or Bayeux. Moesgaard et al BSFN 8; Dumas 1979 XX 10; Legros 340 tied to Wm the Conqueror and tresor de Nus. The coin is bright and has been color adjusted to create a contrast so it is easier to see the detail.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier .38gr, 13mm. Obv: two fontons with besants over bar. Rev: cross with besants. Coin is heavily clipped. Mint is Rouen or Bayeux. Moesgaard et al BSFN 9; Dumas 1979 XX 14; Legros 393 tied to Henri I Beauclerc (1106-35) and the tresor de Nus. The coin is bright and has been color adjusted to create a contrast so it is easier to see the detail.

Dumas Group C (1076-1135)

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Billon denier .44gr, 14mm. Obv: central annulet, three fontons with besants. Rev: cross with besants. Coin is heavily clipped. Mint is Rouen or Bayeux. Moesgaard et al BSFN 10; Dumas 1979 XX 16; Legros 395 tied to Henri I Beauclerc and the tresor de Nus. The coin is bright and has been color adjusted to create a contrast so it is easier to see the detail.

Dumas group E (1135-45)

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Billon denier, .76 gr, 17mm. Obv: cross with four besants, square center, fonton with besant bracketed by two annelets, cross arm T'd. Rev: ROTOMAGAS, cross with four besants. Mint is Rouen. PdA 133, IV 19 as his 7th category with the observation 'c'est commencement du XIth siecle,' which places it with Wm the C. or Robert II. Legros329 as RR. He ties it to William and the tresor de Aversa in Italy and places the tresor in the first half of the 12th century. He cites the Revue Numismatique 1906 Pl XIII 5 and PdA. Moesgaard, Singer and Woodhead (BSFN 6/11 #14) cite this as Dumas 1989 as Group E (1135-45). Dumas 1979 placed this as Group B/C but on reconsideration reclassified it in 1989. I have not seen the 1989 article. The coin is actually very bright in appearance and has been color adjusted to offer some contrast to see detail.

AR denier, 19mm, .78gr. Obv: +STEPHAN COO?, central cross with stars in top quadrants. Rev: +GVINGAMP, central head facing right (not very evident in this coin). R 4953 (who says this type is among the least crude of the very large Penthievre production), Boud 144 (which puts STEPHAN COM on the rev).

Son of Eudes, Count and Agnes of Cornouaille. He married Hawise of Guincamp and they had 3 - 5 children. Several geneologies suggest he died in 1135 rather than 1138, which is what the numismatic sources indicate. He was also Lord Richmond. He was buried at St. Mary's, York, England. Sources: various online geneologies.

AR denier, 18mm, .88gr. Obv: +STEPHANCO( )), central cross with stars in in quadrants 1 and 2. Rev: OVINO_anp, degenerate head. R4955v; Boud 145; PdA series 1440.