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All the coins of
King Sam of Kent are
difficult to acquire
because he didn't
issue many. In fact
Sam struck only one
silver type and two
bronze types, as far
as we know. Moreover
only 15 other
specimens are
recorded of this
extremely rare Sam
Griffin silver unit.
Not even the British
Museum has an
example and the type
is unlisted by Van
Arsdell, Hobbs,
Evans, Allen and
Mack.
Samo is
Gaulish for ‘summer’
and may be linked to
the name Samson,
which was popular
for medieval
Brittany and
Normandy, in England
from the end of the
11th century. Though
a bronze coin of
Cantian Sam was
recorded by Sir John
Evans in 1864, it
was only in the
early 1980s that
silver coins of this
Kentish king first
came to light. See
Dr Philip de
Jersey’s discussion
of Sam in Chris
Rudd List 74.
Chris Rudd January
list.
12.1.09 |
