English Coins. From the Conquest Down to the Reign of Queen Victoria
William I. and William II. (1066 to 1087, and 1087 to 1100.)
The coins of William the Conqueror and his son William Rufus cannot, with any degree of certainty, be distinguished the one from the other; their appropriation is therefore purely conjectural.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies only.
Obverse.—Type. Crowned bust, sometimes full-faced, at others in dexter or sinister profile; on some the shoulders and arm extending to the edge of the coin, on others the whole confined within the inner circle; sometimes with tassel, or pendant, hanging from the crown on either side (“bonnet” type), or with a canopy over the head (“canopy” type). On one or both sides of the bust is generally a sceptre, or star; or sceptre on one side and star on the other; or sword. Those usually ascribed to the first William are those with the sceptres only; the others are attributed to William II. But this is entirely supposititious.
Legend. PILEM. 1 PILELM. PILLEM. PILLELM. PILEMV. PILLEMV.PILLEMVS, etc.— R. or REX.— A. AN. ANG. ANGL. ANGLO. ANGLOR., etc.
Reverse.—Type. Crosses in considerable variety, including fleury, battonée, annulæ, voided, etc.; others terminating in pellets, knots, etc.; cross and saltire; cross and lozenge; cross and annulets, etc. One type of common occurrence has, in circles between the limbs of the cross, the letters P A X S. In all cases the device is confined within the inner circle.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names, as GODPINE ON LIN, which signifies that it was struck by Godwine of Lincoln; SIPORD ON PINC, by Siward of Winchester; ESBRN ON SERBR, by Osbern of Salisbury; SIBODE ON LVNDEN; and so on. About sixty or seventy different places of mintage are known.
Rarity. Some scarce; those with the canopy over the head exceedingly so. Those with P A X S are common.