B.A.N.S. WEEKEND LECTURE COURSE

The 2009 BANS Autumn Weekend was staged in the Cripps halls of residence, part of the University of Nottingham campus, over the weekend of 11-13 September.

A total of 36 delegates, including a few from the local Numismatic Society of Nottinghamshire and one visitor from Australia, enjoyed nine lectures of a very high calibre which covered the whole spectrum of numismatics, from ancient Greek coins to tokens, medals (both commemorative and military) and paper money. It was a fitting end to the tenure of the event by Joe Bispham, who first took up the organisational reins from the late Frank Snow in 1989 and who has run most of the Weekends since then. The sun shone all weekend, adding to a relaxed and convivial atmosphere that was enjoyed by all.

Dr Barrie Cook opened proceedings on Friday evening by taking a look at pattern coins in early modern England. Part of that period was expanded on by Saturday's opening speaker, Chris Comber, who explained the influence of the father-and-son Anthony dynasty on the coinage in the last half of the 16th and opening years of the 17th centuries, with particular reference to the coin portraiture of Elizabeth I. Robert Thompson demonstrated that the pioneering works of Thomas Snelling and, more contemporaneously, those of the Chester freemason Randle Holme (1627-1700), still have much relevance to presentday students of 17th century tokens.

This year's Royal Mint lecturer was Douglas Muir, curator of Philately at the British Postal Museum & Archive, who was engaged at short notice to talk about the diverse technical processes involved in the adoption of the portrait of George V by Bertram Mackennal for use on stamps, coins and medals. After dinner on Saturday it was the turn of Dr David Goodall to give us an informed overview of some of the many differing types of currencies used in the camps and ghettoes of Germany and elsewhere from 1933 to 1945. Sunday commenced with an overview of coinage in southern England from the mid-8th century to 870 AD by Rory Naismith. New South Wales visitor Alan Williams convincingly overturned Michael Dolley's assertion that Bror Hildebrand was incorrect in assigning a Last Small Cross penny of æthelred II to the mint of Dunwich (BEH 440) by proving that a similar coin he acquired from a CNG auction had an unequivocal mint-signature. BANS regular Bob Thomas took us to the break by detailing the heroic acts of bravery by his first cousin once removed, Theodore Veale, VC, in his repeated and ultimately successful attempts under heavy fire to reach a fellow soldier of the Devonshire regiment wounded within 50 yards of the German lines on the Somme in July 1916. Bringing proceedings to a close, Professor Ted Buttrey gave this year's Royal Numismatic Society lecture, a masterly overview of the problems in assigning Athenian-style tetradrachms to their place of minting.