Collecting Jamestown: Part 12. Mysterious Phoenix Token in Pit 1.

One of my favorite tokens found at Jamestown is the Phoenix.

This chunky lead token was unearthed in 1994 – one of the first tokens discovered within the fort. It was found in Pit 1, the very pit at the spot where Dr. Kelso first pricked the ground with his shovel on April 4, 1994.

   The four 10x10 squares (JR1 to JR4) produced all sorts of artifacts. Among the finds were the top half of a Bartmann jug, a crucible, pipe stems and bowls, beads, metal book clasps, a matchlock plate, jack plate, sword hangers, and of course, many pottery sherds. A complete cabasset helmet was found sitting upright on a ledge as if placed there. Maybe it was placed there! The pit (actually several overlapping pits) appeared to be filled in about 1610 – perhaps during the rebuilding of fort following the arrival Thomas West (Lord De La Warre).

Phoenix token dug in UK.

   The Phoenix token was found in the first square (JR1), just beneath some bricks that were buried under 11 inches of plowzone – not very deep. What a cool find; no other Phoenix tokens have been found at Jamestown. I do not believe that any more have been unearthed on the continent. As such, this single piece makes it part of the American colonial set.

   Although it is scarce, Phoenix pieces from Queen Elizabeth’s reign have been found in England. The obverse shows a crowned Tudor rose flanked by the letters ER (Elizabeth Regina) and encircled by the legend BEATY REGINA (Beatified Queen). On the obverse the legend reads SO LA PHOENIX MVN DYE (Only the Phoenix is Pure? – JT curator was unsure about this one, hence the question mark).

   The Phoenix on the reverse is dramatic and is not easy to interpret. In the field reports for 1995, Beverly Straube and Nicholas Luccketti conjecture that it represents Elizabeth’s efforts to protect the kingdom from the Roman Catholic Church, or it symbolizes the “Virgin Queen.” More research is needed here, but other data suggest the latter.

Next week, we will see what Michael Mitchiner said about this token, and we will explore the ones listed in the PAS database.

Have a Happy New Year!