94 WAREHAM : ITS INVASIONS AND BATTLES. 



drained the blood of the noblest, bravest, strongest the flower of 

 the Saxon race. 



Another reason now suggests itself for improving the Walls. The 

 importance of Wareham was increased by the Mint, which Mr. 

 Warne and Hutchins assert was established by King Athelstan, 

 and that monarch, Camden informs us, appointed two mintmasters. 

 At a sale of Mr. Warne's collection of coins, reported in the Dorset 

 County Chronicle, May 30th, 1889, a Wareham coin of the reign of 

 Athelstan realised ,9 2s. 6d. In the reign of King Edgar the 

 Wareham Mint was well worked, and in the reign of Ethelred 

 " Wareham, as a place of mintage, was well represented." At the 

 sale before mentioned a Wareham coin Ethelred II. realised 5 5s. 

 Two pennies were struck at the Wareham Mint in the reign of 

 King Canute. During " Harold's occupation of the throne . . 

 a coinage was carried on at Wareham." In the reign of William 

 the Conqueror there was an extensive coinage, " about forty-seven 

 pennies," which varied, were coined at Wareham Mint. Money 

 was also coined in the .reign of William II. In the reign of Edward 

 the Confessor the coinage was still continued. " The Anderbodes 

 were a family of moneyers working under the Confessor, Harold II., 

 and the Williams." In the reign of Henry the First Mr. Warnc 

 (to whom we are indebted for this information) states that " the 

 coin of this realm was so debased by the moneyers, counterfeited 

 by forgers, and clipped by others, that it became necessary to 

 impose the severest penalties." "Henry's Mints were few and 

 coins scarce." " I am not aware," writes Mr. Warne, " that he had 

 any place of coinage in Dorset except Wareham, of which Mint 

 Hawkins engraves a penny .... besides this I only know 

 of two other pennies struck here, one by Sperravot, or Spertavot 

 . . . . the other by Osmier." There is no evidence that the 

 Wareham Mint was worked after this reign. From the mention of 

 " Golde Couit " in records appertaining to the Edwardian period it 

 would appear that the site of the Mint was the block of buildings 

 east of the quay between the South Bridge and the Priory. Henry 

 II., according to Dugdale, confirms a present of gold (inter alia) 



