My coins from medieval England, Henry III London minted long-cross (half) Penny (1250), Edward I London minted long-cross Penny, 1303. 10ab4 (Spink 1409b), Elizabeth I three pence from 1582.
Despite having an interest in the period, I never have been able to get into the coinage. I think it’s sort of like watching soccer. You sort of have to cultivate an eye for it and know all the things to appreciate. Maybe someday.
@TheRed needs to get over here! He's got amazing stuff. ...A few years ago, by way of ebay, I wound up in correspondence with a British collector who was an Absolute Maven on the the truly labyrinthine variations (/'classes') of English hammered. He very magnanimously sold me his culls (emphasis on 'his') at cost, until I was quite frankly done with the entire series for a while. But the classes themselves are worth squinting over, since they really do date the coins within as little as a couple of years. Not only were minting practices that centralized (from the Edwards on, at least, most dies were supplied from London), England is rich enough in extant records that the successive coinages are all documented. ...Let's see what I can find a .jpg of, without the cyber equivalent of turning over the house. This is Edward I, from the royal mint at York (there was an ecclesiastical one, too --the only concessions the Angevins consistently made, where minting was concerned, were to leading bishoprics). All I have on it is that it's Class 3; there should be a lower case letter (or two) after that, for the subvariant within the class. Anyway, Class 3 is dated 1280-1 (from North). Obv. +EDW R' ANGL DNS HyB (Edwardus Rex Anglie, Dominus Hibernie; King of England, Lord of Ireland.) Rev. (from 9 o'clock; should've tilted the .jpg) CIVITAS EBORACI (City of York.)
That's a good start to a medieval collection! I personally don't focus on British coins and mostly collect medieval central Europe, yet there are a few English pennies and groats that made their way into my collection nonetheless. Some other memebers here, for example @TheRed, @robp and @Nap, are true experts, though. Kingdom of England, Edward II, AR penny, 1305–1310 AD (class 10cf(3?)), London mint. Obv: +EDWA R ANGL DNS hYB, crowned bust facing within a tressure of arches, fleurs on cusps. Rev: CIVI-TAS LON-DON; long cross, three pellets in each angle. 18mm, 1.40g. Ref: Spink 1410–1414. Kingdom of England, Edward III, AR groat, 1361–1369 AD (“treaty period”), London Tower mint. Obv: +EDWARD: DEI: G: REX: ANGL: DNS: hYB: Z: AQT, crowned bust facing within a tressure of arches, fleurs on cusps. Rev: +POSVI x DEVM x ADIVTOREM x MEVM; long cross, three pellets in each angle; CIVITAS LONDON around inner circle. 26mm, 4.30g. Ref: Spink 1616. Ex @TheRed collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 308. Kingdom of England, Edward IV (second reign), AR groat, 1471–1483, London mint. Obv: EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC, pierced cross with pellet in lower l. angle; saltire stops; crowned bust facing within a tressure of arches, fleurs on cusps, none above crown. Rev: POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM; long cross, three pellets in each angle, rose after DEVM; CIVITAS LONDON around inner circle. 25mm, 2.90g. Ref: Spink 2098. Ex Berk 201, lot 517; ex Orfew collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 314.
EDWARD I England Edward I 1272-1307 AR Penny 19mm 1.3g Class 10c 1302-1310 Canterbury facing star - Voided long cross 3 pellets quarters North 1040 MAT HENRY VIII IRELAND Henry VIII 1509-1547 AR Groat 25mm 2.5g hЄnRIC VIII DI GR RЄX - RΛnCIЄ ЄT hIBЄRnIЄ harp H & R London SCBI 22 Copenhagen ELIZABETH I England - Elizabeth I 1558-1603 AR Sixpence 3rd-4th issue crescent mintmark
Wow, @Alegandron, that Henry VIII (freaking) Irish groat is (to spare the general public further rhetorical excess) pretty great. As in, both of the above, ending with 'great.'
I like English coins, and would like to collect more of them, but they are just so expensive. I’m trying to make an effort to at least pick up one a year. So far I have nabbed two this year, but spent far more than I should have. One at least looks quite nice - the other not so much, but is rare England Henry II, r. 1154-1189 (1180-1189) London Mint, AR Class 1b Short Cross Penny, 20.12mm x 1.33 grams Obv.: hЄNRICVS●R ЄX, bust facing with two curls left and five right, crowned with 5 pearls in crown, with sceptre Rev.: +RAVL●ON●LVNDЄ, Short cross voided with quatrefoil in each angle Ref.: North 963, SCBC 1344, De Wit 3192 England Irregular Issue (1138-1153) Lincoln Mint, AR Local Issue Penny, 20.01mm x 1.02 grams Obv.: [STIEFNE R] Bust facing crowned and diademed Rev.: +[?GODWIN]E : ON : L[INC], lozenge with incurved sides, star at center, trefoil at each end, annulet in each corner Ref.: North 897, SCBC 1301
Those are nice coins @JayAg47 welcome to the club. Hopefully you will catch the English collecting bug, though as Gavin said it is kind of an acquired taste. Thanks for the kind words @+VGO.DVCKS and @Orielensis I really appreciate it, though must say that I'm not really an expert, just a guy that spends way to much time reading about and looking at English coins. Wow @FitzNigel. For just two English hammered coins you sure did pick a couple winners. I really like Civil War issue, such a historically interesting coin. That it was minted in Lincoln, site of the defeat and capture of Stephen, is a really nice feature. Those moneyers really had towalk a fine line. I'll add a couple random coins from my collection.
Beautiful entries I do like british coinage, and as one has to start from somewhere, I took the easy route : from today backwards. The further back I've been so far is Lizzy I. Here are my three oldest, not medieval medieval, just medieval... Shilling, 5th bust, tun (1636-1638) - Ref : Spink # 2794 Six pence, 3rd bust, 1605 - Ref : Spink # 2658 Six pence, 6th type, 1591 - Ref : Spink # 2578 B Q
Edward III halfpenny of Berwick with bear's head in two quarters. The last coins struck at this border outpost.
A few from my collection: ANGLO-SAXON, Æthelred II. Denomination: AR Penny, minted: England, Winchester, Moneyer: Ælfsige; 978-1017 Obv: +AEDELRAED REX ANGL. Head of Aethelred II, draped, to the left. Rev: +AELFSIGE MO PINT. Voided Long cross without inner circle. Weight: 1.74g; Ø:19mm. Catalogue: Spink 1151. Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 05-2019 EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series BIb, type 27b), minted: Mint in Essex or East Anglia; c 685-700 Obv: Diademed bust right, breaking inner border; blundered legend around Rev: Bird standing right upon cross; annulets flanking and two dots below; all within ouroboros (snake eating its own tail); three annulets below, blundered legend around Weight: 1.19g; Ø:12mm. Catalogue: Abramson 16.10. Provenance: Coin fair Houten (2020); Heritage Europ sale 54, lot 6790 (22-05-2017); acq.: 09-2020 Very pleasing dark toning. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (series R, variety R10), minted: East Anglia, uncertain mint; c. 710-750 AD Obv: Radiate bust of crude style right, annulet either side of head, runic "Wigræd", before, ΛO and pellets behind, wearing collared drapery Rev: Beaded degenerate standard containing symmetrical geometric symbols, central annulet, cross pommée to each side, diagonals at outer corners Weight: 0.72g; Ø:11mm. Catalogue: Abramson 11.150 (id. Provenance: Coin fair Houten; acq.: 09-2020 Relatively scarce (Ashmolian museum lists three; Abramson lists three other; PAN lists one die-identical example (both obv. and rev. die match: SF-1743C6) subtype of the series R with the name of the moneyer (?) "Wigraed" on the obverse, instead of the typical runic EPA. This coin probably belongs to the last twenty years of the production of this coinage, between 735 and 749, and therefore to the reign of Ealdwulf’s successor Aelfwald. Two named moneyers, Tilberht and Wigraed, were operating in Aelfwald’s reign; Wigraed possibly at Gipeswic, and Tilberht at Thetford. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Serie R8), minted: Mint in East Anglia; c. 710-765 Obv: Abstract head to the right; before: EPA (blundered runic legend), behind: three annulets. Rev: Beaded ‘standard,’ with degraded TOT II legend; crosses pommée around. Weight: 0.94g; Ø:12mm. Catalogue: Abramson 11.120; SCBI 63 (BM), 670–1; cf. North 157; SCBC 813A. Provenance: Ex private collectoin; acq.: 11-2020 Minor encrustations, cleaned BRITTAIN, John II. Denomination: AR Penny (halved), minted: London, Fulco, moneyer. ; Struck 1205-1207, in the name of Henry II Obv: crowned facing bust holding scepter. Legend: visible "ЄHRICVS", full legend reads: (star) ҺЄHRICVS RЄX Rev: Voided short cross with pellet at center and four pellets in each quarte. Legend, visible: "LKЄ • OH", whole legend reads: + FVLKЄ • OH • LVND Weight: 0.75g; Ø:18mm. Catalogue: S.1351; North 970; SCBI 56 (Mass). Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 08-2019 King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empire and contributing to the subsequent growth in power of the French Capetian dynasty during the 13th century. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of Magna Carta, a document sometimes considered an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom. BRITTAIN, Henry III. Denomination: AR Penny (short cross class 7b), minted: London (Ricard moneyer); 1218-42 Obv: HENRICVS REX Crowned facing bust, holding sceptre, crude portrait with pellet on chin Rev: +RICARD ON LVND•, short cross, quartered with crosslets Weight: 1.36g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: North 979; SCBC 1356B. Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 09-2019 BRITTAIN, Henry III. Denomination: AR Penny (short cross class 7b), minted: London (Ricard moneyer); 1218-42 Obv: HENRICVS REX Crowned facing bust, holding sceptre, crude portrait with pellet on chin Rev: +RICARD ON LVND•, short cross, quartered with crosslets Weight: 1.36g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: North 979; SCBC 1356B. Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 09-2019 BRITTAIN, James I. Denomination: AR Penny, minted: ; 1619-1625 Obv: I D G ROSA SINE SPINA Rev: thistle with TVEATVR VNITA DEVS Weight: 0.46g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: S. 2661; N. 2128. Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 08-2019 Plus two that I've sold about a year ago: Aethelred. Cnut the Great, 'rex daenorvm' type.
Probably one of the earliest known double struck Lincoln pennies, from the reign of Henry III - the planchet stuck to the obverse die and the moneyer struck the coin again maybe an effort to free it from the obverse die. The coin was minted by Ion in Lincoln. A late example of a Henry III penny from the Colchester hoard that was found in 1902. Another penny, minted in London from early in the reign of Edward I that came from the Colchester hoard of 1902. The great majority of the coins in the Colchester hoard were coins from late in the reign of Henry III and early in the reign of Edward I, suggesting that the hoard was buried during the 1270s before the great recoinage in England beginning in 1280. These latter two coins were sold in little booklets in the early 1970s by Spink & Sons.
@robp, that is mind-blowing. If I had one English 'grail' coin (well, post-Viking Age), that would be It.
A whole lot of great stuff there, @Roerbakmix. Looks as if your (endlessly impressive) focus on sceattas doesn't even break your stride regarding other areas.
About your first one, @scottishmoney, it's like, Yike, and then it circulated, with the moneyer's name on it. Embarrassing, at least.... Hoard provenance as early as your middle Henry III is ...well, brand new to yours truly. ...But your pre-New Coinage Edward I is the best example I have ever seen. ...Maybe I just don't get to the BM and the Fitzwilliam often enough. (...Heck, I have a more typical one....)
A wee groat or fourpence from good Queen Bess with the martlet mintmark suggesting it was minted in 1582. This particular piece has a bit of a circ-cam appearance.
