[Steppes] Steppes Moneyer's Guild presents royal gift

[Duncan Hepburn]

Greetings fellow Ansteorrans,

This past weekend, at our Crown Tournament, the moneyer's guild of the
barony of the Steppes presented King Ulsted the Unsteady with a pound
(240 pence) of struck silver pennies. I am pretty excited about this,
and wanted to share with you all.

Here's the penny we did:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wayneross/2707131795/

The design is based on an Edward the Confessor silver penny (1042-66
AD). The date of the coin is close to His Majesty Ulsted's persona (11th
century Saxon), and with the beard, I saw a close semblance. I tried my
best to capture the mischievous gleam in His Majesty's eye. ;) 

Here's the original penny it was based on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wayneross/2707153509/

The die is cold rolled steel, and is 99% punchwork (A graver was used to
make the initial draping in the tunic, then punched over). The flans are
3/4 inch 95/5 pewter. The die was created by Journeyman Duncan Hepburn,
and striking was done by Apprentice John Plus and Duncan. Presentation
was done by Baroness of the Steppes Katheryn Cunningghame, John, and
Duncan. Generous celebratory consumption of appropriate beverages was
done by all.

Moneying (the art of creating coins) is a fun and social way to pass the
time. If you enjoy swinging hammers dangerously close to your friend's
hand... you're an ideal candidate to become a moneyer. The work is hard
(just ask my thumb), the pay is fair (we're literally making money hand
over fist), and the skills you'll learn and camaraderie you'll develop
will be priceless. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in
learning more.

Regards,

Don Duncan Hepburn
Journeyman, Inter-Kingdom Moneyers Guild
Mintmaster - Barony of the Steppes