Continental sterling of William I, Count of Namur

Karl Clapperton said: “This one has me stumped.” Well, I think most other detectorists would have said the same had they dug up this coin.

At first sight the coin looks like a penny of the Edward I-III period but if examined more closely the legends don’t match an English penny. An immediate problem is the fact that both sides are off centre and flat areas obscure part of the legend.

On the obverse VS COMES+ shows up quite well. On the reverse we have NS IS+ NAM. Therefore, this is definitely a Continental sterling but for whom was it struck?

If the whole of the obverse legend was visible then it would read +GVILEMVS COMES. If we add the missing letters to the reverse then the legend on that side would reads NAM VRC ENS IS+. Leading on from this, the coin was struck at Namur for William I, who was Count of Namur from 1337 until his death in 1391.

The overall condition could be better but we have at least been able to pin it down. It’s not a rarity but neither is it as common as some of the other Continental sterlings found by detectorists.

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