Coins of The Black Death-suggestions invited

laurentyvan

For the last two months I have been making payments on a complete 19th. century San Marino type set. Since all of my meager coin budget has been going towards this purchase, it's been a couple of months since I've added any coins to my collection and as a result, I've been going through Numiusmatic Delerium Tremens.

Reading about coins has helped still my trembling hands but off-topic reading has resulted in interesting collecting directions.
Philip Zieglers "The Black Death" (London-The Folio Society-1997) was fascinating in content (albeit dry and academic) and suggested such a direction: The Coins Of The Black Death.

What if one were to illustrate the spread of the Black Death in Europe with the coins of the affected countries?
It would require starting in Constantinople in December 1347 with Messina, Marseilles, Rome, and Naples in the same time period. Almeria and Seville in Andalusia six months later. Bordeaux, Paris, Strasbourg, Zurich, Vienna and Hungary also in late 1348.
London, Dublin, York, Calais in mid-1349, and Hamburg, Denmark and Sweden in June 1350.

There are a wide variety of cultures and countries involved other than those I listed- a daunting task were completion attempted.
Therefor I think it best to obtain a representative sampling of the major geographical area of the period.

Herein lies the rub- I have virtually no reference material on European coins of the mid-1350's. I am asking for suggestions on the part of interested forum members as to what exists from the period and would be collectible on a modest budget, relevent type coins, I assume.
If you have images of coins from the period that you own, I would be delighted to see them as well.

Thank you-Laurent

mrfred

Laurent, my reply is a bit off-topic:

If you have not done so, I recommend a book:
Willis, Connie. Doomsday Book
This is a remarkable novel of a science-fiction flavor about time travel back to the Death, and describing it as such does it no justice. It won both the Hugo and Nebula SF awards -- deservedly so. She spent five years writing it. With your interest in that time period, I think you will enjoy the book.

And good luck on this interesting collecting theme. I know nothing of numismatics of that time period, and so I cannot really comment on that part of your enquiry.

Fred

Sylvestius

For England you want Edward III pennies, of the third or Florin coinage 1344-1351.

The more common groats were not issued until the fourth coinage from 1351 onwards.

GDJMSP

It may also be worth noting that you can change the time period if you wish. The plague also ravaged Europe at later dates - the 1600's for example. This would allow you a much broader spectrum of coinage to choose from as well as present more easily attainable items.

Sylvestius

True, true...


Depends what you want. Although the designs generally look better in the 1600s, i'm afraid i'd get more of a kick out of the medieval myself...

But as a history student specialising in the medieval period (c.900-1399) it should comes as no surprise that i'm totally biased.

laurentyvan

Mrfred, as a long time collector of Science Fiction and Fantasy I would never have missed the Doomsday Book, a Hugo award winner. I've read it several times. Another good Black Death related book is herman Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund.

Sylvestius, Edward III pennies are now on my radar, thank you.

GDJMSP, the Black Death did return, not once but several times, over a period of 150 years at least. I guess I'll stick to the original and largest manifestation of this dread disease.

Thanks for the comments, looking forward to more direction.

Aethelred

<< <i>Philip Zieglers "The Black Death" (London-The Folio Society-1997) >>



I just bought that book, gotta love those Folio Society editions. I have not read it yet, but I can't wait to get into it. I also bought "The Great Plague" and "The Great Fire of London."

Are you a Folio Society member?

laurentyvan

Are you a Folio Society member?

No Aethelred, but my father is and he recently gave me The Black Death as well as The Spanish Inquisition, my next read. Grim stuff, eh?

Aethelred

I joined in January, they make the most beautiful books in the world. If you get one of their intro sets and buy your four books it will cost around $200-250, but you'll end up with something like 11 books total and they are wonderful books (as you already know). I am into grim, morbid reading as well.

GDJMSP

<< <i> I am into grim, morbid reading as well. >>



What else could you expect from a dead king ?

Aethelred

<< <i>

<< <i> I am into grim, morbid reading as well. >>



What else could you expect from a dead king ? >>



It is rather in keeping with what one would expect.

GDJMSP

<< <i>
Herein lies the rub- I have virtually no reference material on European coins of the mid-1350's. I am asking for suggestions on the part of interested forum members as to what exists from the period and would be collectible on a modest budget, relevent type coins, I assume.
If you have images of coins from the period that you own, I would be delighted to see them as well.

Thank you-Laurent >>



So far the oldest coins in my collection are from the mid 1360's - a bit later than you want. But I can recommend what I think would be a good all around reference for the period you are interested in. Coins of the World by Carson. He covers the period fairly well for all nations. And the book is not that hard to find and inexpensive.

BigAlan

(albeit dry and academic)

True, all the funny stuff got buried.


In addition to Ziegler's the Black Death I suggest Gottfried The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster In Medieval Europe.