York Historic Environment Record

Mr Hargrove writes: On Saturday, April 23, 1842, as some workmen were digginga drain, in connexion with the public rooms then building in St. Leonard's place, and not far from Bootham Bar, they came in contact with the foundations of the old city wall, which formerly passed from that bar to the multangular tower near St Mary's Abbey. On striking a spade near the bottom of the said foundation, at a depth of five and a half feet below the surface of the street, they discovered a great number of small coins, much coroded, and which, the workmen state, would have filled a peck measure, there being not less than 10,000 of them. One of the workmen declared that they had been inclosed in a pot, which was broken by the pickaxe. The coins ultimately passed into the hands of Mr Hewison, the silver smith, who sold them at six pence each.

They proved to be stycas. 365 stycas were examined by C Roach Smithand were recorded as commencing with Eanred, AD 808-840, and finish with Osbrecht, AD 848-867. There are 66 of Eanred, 5 of Redulf, and 12 of Osbrecht. Of the archbishops of York there are, 1 of Eanbald, 30 of Vigmund, and 3 of Wulfhere. Mr Haigh of Leeds examind 865 coinsand identified coins comprising Eanred (147), Ethelred (446), Aeilred (11), Redulf (19), Osbrecht (45), Eanbald (3), Vigmund (94) and Vulfhere (13). 78 were uncertain. Mr Cuff undertook careful examination of 2258 coins forwarded to the association by Mr. Hargrove. He identified Eanred (531), Ethelred (919), Redulf (63), Osbrecht (61), Eanbald (1), Vigmund (237), Vufhere (23). In total 1574 were regal, 261 ecclesiastical, 166 illegible and 257 were of uncertain identification. Cuff noted that the coins of Osbrecht 'hiterto known are, for the most part, barbarously executed, but amng the York sample some were as well made as those of his predecessor and read perfectly on both sides. Cuff also noted that it was remakable that there was only one specimen of Eanbald, especially as they were found in York. Of the 257 unidentified/uncertain coins, many have the names of two monyers, other the names and titles of two kings (Eanred and Ethelred). About twenty have on one side the letters +EV=DDARE, Eardulf? On the other side the name Redulf is plain.

One of the most interesting stycas is of Ethelred, with the reverse of his tasteful monyerm Leofdegn, whose design, a hound and trefoil ornament, affords a pleasing relief to the barren monotony of the other stycas. The ornament which appears to peculiar to coins of the Northumbrian princes, had not before been noticed on any of the types of Ethelred.

Derived from Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Volume 2, 1847. p.230-234

NMR Information

Full description
[Marginal] About 10,000 stycas of bronze found at St. Leonard's Place in April 23rd, 1842. Deposit c. 865? (1)

Sources
1 VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION C.W. Phillips D.A. Index
1a VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION Num.Chron., vii, 1844, p.99.
1b VIRTUAL CATALOGUE ENTRY TO SUPPORT NAR MIGRATION JBAA 11, 1846, pp.230ff.

People and Organisations
Compiler A THOMAS CHESTER 1965-06-09, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Officer 10-JUN-1949 to 16-NOV-1967

NMR, 2019, NMR data (Digital archive). SYO2214.