Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.

MONEY.

11

year 979. The reign of Ethelred was marked by a series of actions
which betrayed the most helpless irresolution and pusillanimity. The
Ianes invaded his kingdom, and levied exactions to the immense amount
of 167,000 pounds. The last of these was made in 1014, and amounted
to 30,000 pounds. His moneyers were numerous, and his laws shew
that provision was made to preserve the integrity of his coinage. He
fled to Normandy in 1013, and Swein, the Danish invader, mounted
the throne. He died a few months after his elevation, and his son
Canute, after a contest, was established in the kingdom in 1017.
The mints of Canute were more numerous than those of his predecessors. He had one at Oxford and another at Cambridge, and
ordained that one coin should be current throughout his kingdom,
and that no man should refuse it, unless it were false. The standard
both of the Danish and Anglo-Saxon money is somewhat uncertain.
England under his reign became more wealthy, as being able to
retain the fruits of her industry, which had been for more than two
centuries before perpetually plundered by the rapacity of the Danes.
At his death in 1036, his son Harold ruled in England. On Harold's
death in 1040, Hardicanute, his brother, came to the crown. Upon
his death, Edward, surnamed the Confessor,' the surviving son of
Ethelred II., succeeded in. 1042. On the death of his father he had
been sent to Normandy, where he had lived till the time of his
accession. His mints were numerous, and as many as 500 varieties
of his coins are known, several of which indicate that they were
struck at Cambridge or Oxford, as well as at many other places.
The fines which were imposed by his laws were regulated by pounds,
oras, marks, shillings and pennies.
On the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066, there were four
competitors for the crown of England, Harold, Earl Godwin, Tostig
his brother, the king of Norway, and William, Duke of Normandy.
Both Harold and William founded their titles to the crown on the
gift of Edward.
Harold being in England assumed the sovereignty at once, and
defended himself against his two brothers, Tostig and the king of
Norway, and they were defeated and slain. His victory over them
had so weakened his forces, that he was unable to withstand the
attack of the Duke of Normandy, and fell at the battle of Hastings
after he had held the supreme power for a little more than nine
months. During his short reign he made frequent coinages at his
numerous mints, one of which was at Oxford. The coins have on
the obverse his name and title as king of England, and the reverse
bears the moneyer's name and place of mintage.2
William, Duke of Normandy, 1066-1087, by the decisive battle
of Hastings and the death of Harold became established on the throne
of England. He did not rest his title by right of conquest only, but
affected to consider himself the lawful heir and successor of Edward,
2 The Anglo-Saxon kings conferred the privileges of coining on their
subjects. King Edward the Confessor, on confirming the liberties of St. Edmund
(St. Edmundsbury), gave to Abbot Baldwin a stamp and authority to have an
exchange or mint, and to coin in his monastery. The coins now extant prove
this, and shew that there were very few considerable towns without a mint.
2 In the year 1739, a large quantity of Harold's coins was found at Dymchurch, in Romney Marsh; and again in 1774 there was another parcel found near
St. Mary Hill Church, in London.