Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s is thrilled to present the Ancient, British and World Coins at 399 Strand on Wednesday 12 March. Highlights of the auction include two coins depicting the two most famous individuals in all early medieval British history – the Saxon King Harold and the Norman, William the Conqueror, whose armies came to clash at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Each coin features the head of that monarch in amazingly well struck detail and unworn condition, and therefore with each coin there is the chance to acquire not only a contemporary portrait of these two English kings but also the most detailed and lifelike portraits that exist.
No other authentic contemporary lifelike portrait of either Harold or William in existence. Yes, there may be the beautiful but naïve renderings in manuscripts or depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry a few years after Harold’s death, however the features woven in thread do not really give us an even vague idea of what these two men actually looked like.
Old coins are a window into that period of history – to understand the coin one really has to know what was occurring at that time. Most people are aware of what was going on in the autumn of 1066 – Harold Godwinson had become king of Saxon England, but William of Normandy argued that childless Edward the Confessor had promised the throne to him, so decided to invade. To make matters worse, Harold’s half-brother Tostig set out to take advantage of the situation, landing with an army in Yorkshire with his ally Harald Hadrada, the king of Norway, who also thought he too had a claim to the English throne. Harold, preparing to confront Norman invasion, marched his army up from the south of England – a distance of 185 miles! – in just a breathtaking four days. He surprised the Norwegian army and soundly defeated them at Stamford Bridge just outside York. Three days later, the Normans landed at Pevensey in Sussex. Harold turned his army around and three weeks later found himself taking up a position to confront the Norman army at Senlac Hill, just outside the town of Hastings in Sussex. It was a close call – Harold’s shield-wall was holding and the Normans were making no headway after ten hours of battle – but then, after a failed Norman attack, the Saxon line broke to chase the fleeing enemy; as a result, the Saxons were in disarray. At dusk, William made one final assault, Harold was killed and the rest is history!
We all know the outcome of the battle of Hastings. Whether or not Harold perished through receiving an arrow through his eye, as the story goes, the effect on the make-up and shape of England was utterly transforming and forever changed the country. The changes were political, cultural, and religious, and proved to be dramatic, long-lasting and still evident in the England of today. The Norman invasion of England led to a remarkable coexistence of two distinct languages, French and English. No other foreign language has made such an impact on English than French, in fact some 30% of English is now composed of Norman French words.
In these two extraordinary coins presented to auction by SGBaldwins.com, we have two realistic and contemporary portraits of the two men who have probably had the greatest impact on British history and who we are today. The outcome of the conflict between them on the 14th October 1066 was truly monumental – these two portraits are about as near as we can get to seeing what the two men actually looked like. In an ancient coin, yes, we can hold history in our hands. But, in these two incredible artefacts, we also have the opportunity to see – as best as is possible – the faces of those who actually forged it.
For more information about the upcoming Ancient, British and World Coin Auction, visit www.SGBaldwins.com