Elizabeth Jean Elphinstone Pirie (14 September 1932 – 1 March 2005) was a British
numismatist
A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...
specialising in ninth-century
Northumbria
la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum
, conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria
, common_name = Northumbria
, status = State
, status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
n coinage, and museum curator, latterly as Keeper of Archaeology at
Leeds City Museum
Leeds City Museum, originally established in 1819, reopened in 2008 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is housed in the former Mechanics' Institute built by Cuthbert Brodrick, in Cookridge Street (now Millennium Square). It is one of nine s ...
from 1960–91. She wrote eight books and dozens of articles throughout her career. She was a fellow of the
Royal Numismatic Society
The Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) is a learned society and charity based in London, United Kingdom which promotes research into all branches of numismatics. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II.
Membership
Foremost collectors and researchers, bo ...
, president of the
Yorkshire Numismatic Society and a fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries of London
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...
.
Early life
Pirie was born in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
on 14 September 1932, whilst her father was serving there as a Royal Naval Chaplain. She returned to Britain with her mother, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Until her father's retirement in 1953, the family moved several times, and Pirie attended 8 schools. After an MA degree at
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
and an archaeology diploma at Cambridge, in 1952 she started work on several archaeological excavations. This worked continued until 1955, when she took up a post at
Grosvenor Museum
Grosvenor Museum is a museum in Chester, Cheshire, in the United Kingdom. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. Its full title is The Grosvenor Museum of Natural History and Archa ...
,
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
.
Career
Pirie was appointed Assistant Curator at the
Grosvenor Museum
Grosvenor Museum is a museum in Chester, Cheshire, in the United Kingdom. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. Its full title is The Grosvenor Museum of Natural History and Archa ...
in 1955. Here she was responsible for the display in 1956 of Dr Willoughby Gardner's collection of coins from the
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
mint (facility)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins that can be used as currency.
The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. In the beginning, hammered coinage or cast coinage were the chief means of coin minting ...
. In March 1957 she moved to
Maidstone Museum
Maidstone Museum is a local authority-run museum located in Maidstone, Kent, England, featuring internationally important collections including fine art, natural history, and human history. The museum is one of three operated by Maidstone Bor ...
as Archaeological Assistant. In 1960 she became Keeper of Archaeology at
Leeds City Museum
Leeds City Museum, originally established in 1819, reopened in 2008 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is housed in the former Mechanics' Institute built by Cuthbert Brodrick, in Cookridge Street (now Millennium Square). It is one of nine s ...
, a post she held until her retirement in 1991. Most of her books and articles were written during this time.
During her time at Leeds she led several excavations, including the Cistercian ware kiln at Potterton, near in Barwick-in-Elmet with Philip Mayes.
Pirie became the foremost expert on
styca
The styca (; . ''stycas'') was a small coin minted in pre-Viking Northumbria, originally in base silver and subsequently in a copper alloy. Production began in the 790s and continued until the 850s, though the coin remained in circulation until the ...
coinage and her volume ''Coins of the Kingdom of Northumbria'' "provides an indispensable illustrated corpus of the known material".
Later life
Pirie retired to
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
in 1991 and bought a flat in
Marchmont
Marchmont is a mainly residential area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies roughly one mile to the south of the Old Town, separated from it by The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links. To the west it is bounded by Bruntsfield; to the south-southwest ...
. She was active in her local church, continued her research and campaigned on local issues. She died on 1 March 2005 and her cremation was held on 11 March at Mortonhall Crematorium.
Honours
*Fellow of the
Royal Numismatic Society
The Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) is a learned society and charity based in London, United Kingdom which promotes research into all branches of numismatics. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II.
Membership
Foremost collectors and researchers, bo ...
, 1957
*Vice-President of the Yorkshire Numismatic Society & BANS Delegate, 1968
*President of the
Yorkshire Numismatic Society, 1970
*Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries of London
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...
, 1978
Publications
Books
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Articles
*'A Coin Certainly of Leicester but with a mint signature of Chester', with R H M Dolley, ''Numismatic Circular'' 70.9
*'The Repurcussions on Chester's Prosperity of the Viking Descent on Cheshire in 980', with R H M Dolley, ''British Numismatic Journal'' 33
*'Coins of the Chester Mint', ''Transactions of the Yorkshire Numismatic Society'' 2
*'A Further Note on Coins from the Bishophill (York) find of 1882', ''Annual Report of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society'' (1971)
*'Early Norman Coins in the Yorkshire Museum', ''Annual Report of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society'' (1972)
*'Numismatics and Conservation: a numismatic view', ''Museums Journal'' 79.1
*'Early Northumbrian coins at auction, 1981', ''British Numismatic Journal'' 51
*'Coins', in P Mayes & L Butler, ''Sandal Castle Excavations 1964–73''
*' The Ripon Hoard, 1695: Contemporary and Current Interest', ''British Numismatic Journal'' 52
*'Eanred's Penny: a Northumbrian enigma', ''The Yorkshire Numismatist'' 3
*'The Bamburgh Hoard of Ninth-Century Northumbrian Coins', ''Archaeologia Aeliana'' 33
See also
*
Hexham Hoard
The Hexham hoard is a 9th-century hoard of eight thousand copper-alloy coins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria, which were discovered whilst a grave was being dug close to Hexham Abbey in 1832.
Discovery
The hoard was uncovered on ...
*
St Leonard's Place Hoard
*
Styca
The styca (; . ''stycas'') was a small coin minted in pre-Viking Northumbria, originally in base silver and subsequently in a copper alloy. Production began in the 790s and continued until the 850s, though the coin remained in circulation until the ...
*
Leeds Museums & Galleries
Leeds Museums and Galleries is a museum service run by the Leeds City Council in West Yorkshire. It manages nine sites and is the largest museum service in England and Wales run by a local authority.
Visitor attractions
* Abbey House Museum
*Ki ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pirie, Elizabeth
1932 births
2005 deaths
British numismatists
British women curators
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London
British curators
Women numismatists
British women archaeologists
British archaeologists
20th-century archaeologists