The short cross pennies are quite welcome among collectors of British hammered coins. This lovely one belongs to Class 1a2 which means it was struck in 1180, the very start of this coinage in the reign of Henry II (1154-1189). Class 1a2 pennies are much rarer than common short cross pennies. But please notice its mint and moneyer. The reverse legend reads REINALD ON NOR, yes, it's Reinald on Northampton. So this is a Class 1a2 Reinald of Northampton. This penny was considered as the unique example for this moneyer in this class (I don’t know if it is still unique now). Now the stories behind it. This penny was once in Wells’s collection, then Elmore Jones’s and then Mass’s collection. All these three one were very famous collectors, especially Professor Mass. Mass was the most important collector of the short cross pennies. His collection was published in 2001 as the most important guide book Mass’s Sylloge (SCBI 56). This penny is no. 138. Mass's daughter Tara asked May Sinclair of SPINK to find some special penny for her father and finally bought it from SPINK as a birthday gift in 1995. Mass was very fond of it and mentioned it in his book. After Mass’s pass away, this very penny came to others. About half a year ago, one of my friends told me about this penny first time. An Irish dealer was selling it on a London coin fair. The price was not cheap but still acceptable. I hoped I could buy it but this dealer went back to Ireland and couldn’t be contacted. I was told he would attend another coin fair several months later. So I waited. But when the fair came, this time this penny was asked for a much higher price by AMR, the agency of the Irish dealer. My friend didn’t expect this and quit our plan of buying it. So I missed it again! But I just didn’t want to let it go. I asked my friend to buy it at the higher price from AMR. And I was told that the penny was still in Ireland! Oh God! So I waited for another one month. This penny was arranged to be posted from Ireland to UK and then UK to me. At last I paid about 1.5 times of the original price for it (commission included)! But when having it in my hand, I don’t regret paying so much for it! Here I attached its photos by myself. But I cannot reveal its beauty at all, so here I also borrowed AMR's photos.(Thanks to AMR!) Enjoy it! Photos by AMR:
Glad you were able to get it. I have yet to purchase a short cross penny. The prices seem everywhere. Eventually though... Very nice.
i have yet to add a short cross to my collection. it's on my list. congrats on your purchase!! :thumb:
