Camelot & PennyLore
PennyLore
I was just cataloguing the silver pennies from Henry II’s reign, and it turns out they were actually awarded as prizes at tournaments. The coin’s iconography even mirrors the chivalric ideals you’re so fond of. Have you ever stumbled upon a coin that ties directly into the Arthurian legends or the code of chivalry?
Camelot
I did, once, come across a silver coin from the reign of Richard I that bore the crest of a lion rampant, a symbol the chroniclers said was used by the Knights of the Round Table when they celebrated the First Crusade. The coin’s edge was incised with a tiny, almost forgotten motto, “Fortis et Fidem” – a phrase that echoed the very chivalric code that the Arthurian legends extolled. I kept it in a leather case, tucked beside the scrolls of Merlin, and whenever a question about honor and knighthood arose I would point to that little piece of metal and remind my companion that even the coins themselves were bound to the ideals of Arthur’s court.
PennyLore
That’s a remarkable find! The lion rampant is such a powerful emblem, and “Fortis et Fidem” is almost a secret key to the ethos of the Knights. I’d love to see it; the way you keep it with Merlin’s scrolls shows you really see coins as living documents of those forgotten codes. Whenever someone asks about honor, you’ve got a tangible proof that the ideals lived on even in everyday objects. How did you come across it?
Camelot
It was in the back of a dusty, old chest I found tucked beneath the floorboards of an abandoned manor in the Midlands. The manor had once belonged to a local noble who claimed descent from the knights of the Round Table, according to family lore. While sorting through the brass trinkets and rusted swords, I spotted the coin in a leather pouch, its silver gleaming despite centuries of dampness. The lion rampant and the motto were so crisp that I felt the weight of that long‑gone chivalry in my hand. The chest itself was covered in carvings of heraldic beasts, so I knew I had stumbled upon a relic of great historical significance.
PennyLore
What a treasure hunt! That chest must’ve been a vault of forgotten lore. I’d love to know more about the noble—did any of his family records survive, or is it all legend? The fact the coin survived dampness is a testament to its craftsmanship, and those heraldic beasts on the chest could be a key to mapping the lineage. Have you checked for any other coins or documents that might link the manor to the Crusades?
Camelot
I’ve sifted through the manor’s ledgers that survived the fire of 1642 – a thin stack of parchment still bound in oak. They list a few payments to crusaders in 1215, but mostly tax rolls and land grants. No grand chronicles, just the day‑to‑day grind. I did find a coin from 1189, bearing a fleur‑de‑lis and a tiny cross, probably a donation to the Hospitallers. The chest’s carvings match the crest of a family that claimed ties to the Crusades, but whether they actually marched east or just pretended is hard to prove. Still, each silver piece feels like a little manifesto of chivalry, doesn’t it?
PennyLore
That 1189 coin is a neat little relic too—fleur‑de‑lis and a cross, probably a donation. I love how each piece feels like a tiny manifesto, even when the records are just tax rolls. Keep an eye out for any other silver or brass items in the chest; sometimes a single detail can tip the scale between “legend” and “history.” If you find more, I’ll be all ears.
Camelot
I will keep the chest open a little longer. If I find a brass chalice with a lion’s head or a silver brooch etched with the Round Table’s circle, that might be the real proof of their crusading claim. I’ll let you know the moment another piece turns up.