Coins and Medals of the English Civil War 2nd Edition

"Coins and medals of the English Civil War" by Edward Besly is a focused numismatic study examining the coinage and medallic output produced during one of the most turbulent periods in English history. The English Civil War, fought through the 1640s between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, disrupted normal minting operations and gave rise to a fascinating array of emergency and siege coinages, as well as commemorative medals struck to mark military and political events. Besly, a respected numismatist with a background at the National Museum of Wales, brings his expertise to bear on a subject that sits at the intersection of history, material culture, and monetary practice.

The book's central strength lies in its careful documentation of the irregular coinages that emerged as regional mints and besieged towns struck their own money when access to the Royal Mint in London was cut off. Readers gain insight into the mints established at Oxford, Shrewsbury, and other Royalist strongholds, as well as the crude but historically significant siege pieces produced under desperate circumstances in towns such as Newark and Pontefract. These emergency issues, often struck from melted plate and irregular in shape and weight, tell a story of resourcefulness and necessity that goes beyond typical numismatic cataloguing. Besly situates these coins within their historical context, explaining how military and political pressures shaped decisions about minting and metal supply.

Equally valuable is the attention given to medals produced during and shortly after the conflict. These objects served propaganda and commemorative purposes, marking victories, honoring commanders, and reinforcing allegiances during a period when public opinion and morale mattered greatly to both sides. The medals discussed in the book reflect the visual and symbolic language of the era, offering a window into how contemporaries wished to remember or interpret the war's key moments and figures.

Besly's approach combines descriptive catalogue work with historical narrative, making the book useful both as a reference tool and as an introduction to the subject for readers with a general interest in seventeenth-century British history. The text is organized in a way that allows collectors and researchers to identify and understand specific pieces, while also providing enough historical framing that the material does not feel disconnected from the broader events of the war. This dual purpose is not always easy to achieve in specialist numismatic literature, but the book manages to balance detail with accessibility.

The illustrations and technical descriptions, characteristic of this type of numismatic publication, support the text by allowing readers to visually compare different issues and mint marks. For those new to the subject, these visual aids are particularly helpful in distinguishing between the many variations produced across different besieged towns and Royalist strongholds. For more experienced collectors, the level of detail provided regarding weights, metals, and minting techniques offers a solid foundation for further study or acquisition.

One of the more compelling aspects of the book is how it illustrates the direct relationship between political and military events and the physical coinage produced during the war. The scarcity of standard currency, the need for troops to be paid, and the symbolic value of minting one's own money all come together to demonstrate how deeply intertwined economic necessity and political identity were during this period. Besly's treatment of these themes adds depth to what might otherwise be a purely descriptive catalogue.

Overall, this book serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the numismatic history of the English Civil War. It combines scholarly rigor with a clear presentation, making it suitable for both dedicated collectors and those approaching the subject for the first time. While it is a specialized work, its clarity and organization make it accessible without sacrificing the depth expected from a study of this kind. For readers interested in how coins and medals can serve as historical artifacts reflecting the pressures and priorities of wartime society, this book offers a well-researched and thoughtfully presented account.