October 25th is the feast of Saints Crispin Crispinian, the largely forgotten patron saints of cobblers and tanners. They were martyred during the reign of Diocletian in 285 or 286. What makes the 25th of October stand out is an event that took place 1130 years later. On October 25th, 1415 the outnumbered and sick army of Henry V was blocked in their retreat to the city of Calais by a numerically superior French army. That morning Henry addressed his army before the battle, and the English army thereafter won a crushing victory. While Henry's speech was chronicled by a number of contemporary Burgundian and French sources it has been the work of a fellow Englishman that immortalized his speech. William Shakespeare wrote his play Henry V in around 1600. In Act IV Henry delivers his speech before the battle. It is one of the most powerful and moving set of lines Shakespeare wrote. And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be rememberèd— We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. I will include a groat of Henry V, which I have posted before. Feel free to add your English and French coins.
This guy is on my list for sure! I don't really have a coin that works, so here is another book plug! I know some of you like Bernard Cornwell books. Fun, fast paced historical fiction of the battle and the campaign to a lesser extent. Oh man, I didn't know there was a saint of cobblers and Tanners! Weird combo, but cool!
@TheRed I really like your groat and Henry V is my favourite play of Shakespeare. Kenneth Branagh gives a very stirring rendition of that speech in his version of Henry V. Here is my penny of Henry V.
And also the source of a quotation I use very frequently: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
That is a great penny of Henry @Orfew with a real strong strike for the York mint. Thanks for the book recommendation @chrsmat71 I'll have to pick up a used copy and add out to my to-read pile.
Here's a French coin of the appropriate time frame (14th-15th century). It's a silver Gross of St. Stephen praying before Manus Deum from Metz.
I am surprised that the King put up with his mint master/ engraver! The effigy on the penny looks more like "curly" from the "Three Stooges". Henry V looked neither like Kenneth Branagh or the coin.
