Item 1995/1 - Letter from Stewart Lyon to Peter Sawyer

1 item, paper

Copy of letter from Stewart to Peter Sawyer, typescript, four pages on four folios (recto only), dated 8 December 1995, thanking PHS for his offprint of 'The last Scandinavian kings of York', Northern History, vol. 31 (1995). CSSL takes issue with PHS's interpretation of the chronology because he has failed to consider fully the numismatic evidence. The principal point of difference has to do with whether Eadred's first reign was interrupted by a first reign of Eric. CSSL discusses the evidence of the Rome hoard, which contained coins of Eadred and Eric but lacks coins of Olaf, who in PHS's chronology would have reigned between them, and the "much larger" Tetney hoard (from Lincolnshire), which also contained coins of Eadred and Eric but not Olaf. Moreover, CSSL argues that PHS's argument about Eric's two coin types being "contemporary and late is numismatically improbable". CSSL presents further arguments concerning question about "an 'interregnum' for Eadred" and the death of Eric by 952. He concludes by asking PHS whether he would welcome a numismatic reply to his article in the same journal, probably a joint article with Ian Stewartby, to whom he is sending a copy of the letter. In the upper right corner of the first page is a manuscript note that reads: "Copy for Ian S. – Do you agree? St[ewart] 8/12".