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<p>[QUOTE="FitzNigel, post: 2205552, member: 74712"]I recognize cut Pennies (or technically half pence or farthings in England) are not the most desired coins since they are technically mutilated, but I have found them fascinating since this was a practical method of making change in the middle ages, particularly when there was only one circulating coin (such as the penny in England).</p><p><br /></p><p>In England, the practice of cutting pennies even led to changes in coin designs to help ease the creation of small change (and also to prevent the practice of clipping coins). Since the introduction of Christianity to England, Crosses were a common motif on the reverse of pennies, and they became the major element of design on the reverse after the Norman conquest (excepting the name of the mint and moneyer where the coin was produced, and a few other irregular issues). During the reign of Henry II (r. 1154-1189), a new coinage was established to replace the many irregular pennies produced during the "anarchy"/civil war that occurred during the previous reign of Stephen (who was battling Henry's mother Maud / the Empress). The cross provided a convenient guide for cutting pennies in half, or in fourths to create farthings. Henry would produce a new type of coinage later in his reign which would feature a voided cross on the back, providing an even clearer guide of where to cut the coin. These 'Short Cross' pennies continued unchanged (even the obverse) through the reigns of his sons Richard and John.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kingdom of England</p><p>Richard I (r. 1189-99)</p><p>AR Short Cross Penny 18mm x 1.3grams</p><p>Seaby 1347</p><p>Moneyer - Ricard; Mint - London</p><p>[ATTACH=full]430167[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Kingdom of England</p><p>Richard I (r. 1189-119) or John (r. 1199-1216)</p><p>Cut AR Short Cross Penny</p><p>15mm. x 0.7 grams</p><p>Seaby 1350 to 52, or 1355</p><p>Moneyer - Samuel; Mint - Canterbury</p><p>[ATTACH=full]430174[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The short cross coins would continue for many years into Henry III's reign (r. 1216-72) until they would be replaced by the 'Long Cross' coinage (begun in 1247). Long cross coins continued the voided cross all the way to the edge of the coin, again providing that clear guide for cutting, but also as an attempt to prevent clipping and having the full correct weight of silver in the coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kingdom of England</p><p>Henry III (r. 1216-72)</p><p>AR Long Cross Penny (Class 3b, Phase II - 1248-50)</p><p>16mm. x 1.5 grams</p><p>Seaby 1363</p><p>Moneyer - Nicole ; Mint - London</p><p>[ATTACH=full]430175[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Kingdom of England</p><p>Henry III (r. 1216-72)</p><p>Cut AR Long Cross Penny (Phase II - 1248-50)</p><p>16mm x 0.7 grams</p><p>(Seaby 1362?)</p><p>Moneyer - Nicole ; Mint - London</p><p>[ATTACH=full]430176[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Coins with a cross on the reverse reaching the edge of the coin became a regular feature of English coinage for many years after this development, even after more denominations were being minted, and there was no longer a need to cut coins to make change (although the practice may still have happened considering this was a time when the value of the coin was in the metal content...). First, Henry's successor would continue the practice of Long Cross coinage, but change the design in what we call the 'New Coinage':</p><p><br /></p><p>Kingdom of England</p><p>Edward I (r. 1272-1307)</p><p>AR Penny, New Coinage</p><p>18mm x 1.3 grams</p><p>Seaby - 1397</p><p>City of London</p><p>[ATTACH=full]430177[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>And to show how the design continued on English coins even after new denominations were minted, here is a threepence of Elizabeth I (which is roughly the same size of these earlier pennies, and I know, not the prettiest of coins...):</p><p><br /></p><p>Kingdom of England</p><p>Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603)</p><p>AR Threepence (Fifth Issue)</p><p>16.5mm x 1.1 grams</p><p>Seaby 2573</p><p>[ATTACH=full]430181[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>If anyone has any cut coins, particularly farthings, I would love to see them! I'm hoping posting this int he Ancient section might attract more people who collect medieval coins than in the modern section (us medievalists always feel "in the middle"...)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="FitzNigel, post: 2205552, member: 74712"]I recognize cut Pennies (or technically half pence or farthings in England) are not the most desired coins since they are technically mutilated, but I have found them fascinating since this was a practical method of making change in the middle ages, particularly when there was only one circulating coin (such as the penny in England). In England, the practice of cutting pennies even led to changes in coin designs to help ease the creation of small change (and also to prevent the practice of clipping coins). Since the introduction of Christianity to England, Crosses were a common motif on the reverse of pennies, and they became the major element of design on the reverse after the Norman conquest (excepting the name of the mint and moneyer where the coin was produced, and a few other irregular issues). During the reign of Henry II (r. 1154-1189), a new coinage was established to replace the many irregular pennies produced during the "anarchy"/civil war that occurred during the previous reign of Stephen (who was battling Henry's mother Maud / the Empress). The cross provided a convenient guide for cutting pennies in half, or in fourths to create farthings. Henry would produce a new type of coinage later in his reign which would feature a voided cross on the back, providing an even clearer guide of where to cut the coin. These 'Short Cross' pennies continued unchanged (even the obverse) through the reigns of his sons Richard and John. Kingdom of England Richard I (r. 1189-99) AR Short Cross Penny 18mm x 1.3grams Seaby 1347 Moneyer - Ricard; Mint - London [ATTACH=full]430167[/ATTACH] Kingdom of England Richard I (r. 1189-119) or John (r. 1199-1216) Cut AR Short Cross Penny 15mm. x 0.7 grams Seaby 1350 to 52, or 1355 Moneyer - Samuel; Mint - Canterbury [ATTACH=full]430174[/ATTACH] The short cross coins would continue for many years into Henry III's reign (r. 1216-72) until they would be replaced by the 'Long Cross' coinage (begun in 1247). Long cross coins continued the voided cross all the way to the edge of the coin, again providing that clear guide for cutting, but also as an attempt to prevent clipping and having the full correct weight of silver in the coins. Kingdom of England Henry III (r. 1216-72) AR Long Cross Penny (Class 3b, Phase II - 1248-50) 16mm. x 1.5 grams Seaby 1363 Moneyer - Nicole ; Mint - London [ATTACH=full]430175[/ATTACH] Kingdom of England Henry III (r. 1216-72) Cut AR Long Cross Penny (Phase II - 1248-50) 16mm x 0.7 grams (Seaby 1362?) Moneyer - Nicole ; Mint - London [ATTACH=full]430176[/ATTACH] Coins with a cross on the reverse reaching the edge of the coin became a regular feature of English coinage for many years after this development, even after more denominations were being minted, and there was no longer a need to cut coins to make change (although the practice may still have happened considering this was a time when the value of the coin was in the metal content...). First, Henry's successor would continue the practice of Long Cross coinage, but change the design in what we call the 'New Coinage': Kingdom of England Edward I (r. 1272-1307) AR Penny, New Coinage 18mm x 1.3 grams Seaby - 1397 City of London [ATTACH=full]430177[/ATTACH] And to show how the design continued on English coins even after new denominations were minted, here is a threepence of Elizabeth I (which is roughly the same size of these earlier pennies, and I know, not the prettiest of coins...): Kingdom of England Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603) AR Threepence (Fifth Issue) 16.5mm x 1.1 grams Seaby 2573 [ATTACH=full]430181[/ATTACH] If anyone has any cut coins, particularly farthings, I would love to see them! I'm hoping posting this int he Ancient section might attract more people who collect medieval coins than in the modern section (us medievalists always feel "in the middle"...)[/QUOTE]
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