I just picked up this one because I liked that the face was not all worn flat like most I have seen. I think it is an English Henry III , but I do not know enough on these coins to tell.
Cool! I don't know anything about these coins either but I do like the portraits. Yours is really well struck.
Yep, Henry III. Gotta love those abstract faces. It's as if the engravers were doing acid when making them :- D Here's mine (I think)
Nice coin. No hammered coins for me yet. I'd like to get into Medievals at some point, outside of Byzantine. Perhaps the Crusader states.
I like those full-face coins; you look into the eyes of Henry BRITTAIN, Henry III (1207-1272). 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 ANGLO-SAXON, Æthelred II (966-1016). Denomination: 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
Congratulations on your first medieval hammered coin @bcuda .These long cross pennies of Henry III were some of the most affordable yet interesting coins of the Plantagenet period. Your coin is a class 3 penny struck at Canterbury by the moneyer Nicole. The Canterbury mint produced some really appealing pennies for Henry III. Below is one of my favorites from my collection.
@TheRed that is awesome that you can get that much information out of that coin. Thank you so much for the info. I can see I have a lot to learn if I want to get into these English hammered coins !
My Henry III Henry III (1216-1272 A.D.) AR Penny Long Cross type Class 3b Engraver: Henry Frowik O: hЄNRICVS RЄX | III, Crowned facing portrait of King Henry III, 6 pointed star straddles central crown ornament, legend from 12 o'clock. R: /hEN/RIO/NLV/NDE, Voided long cross with trefoil of pellets in each angle. London mint 18mm 1.31g North 987, SBC 1363
This was my first hammered silver coin, Edward I, London mint. It has since been passed along to a friend.
A really fantastic introductory book on medieval English coinage is the one below. It provides excellent overviews of the English monarchs and their coinage as well as relevant European coinage and political affairs. There are lots of specialized books on areas of English coinage, but this book will give you a great introduction.
I decided to get into some of the medieval coinage after looking up some of my family tree that just amazed me. Looks like I have a few to chose from. Here is just one snip image from my ancestors.