1 Farthing - Henry II 1180-1189

Weight

0.29 g

Diameter

9 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Silver

Shape

Quarter circle

Edge Type

NA

Technique

Hammered

Front design

Quarter of crowned facing bust of King Henry II, sceptre to the left, legend around.

Back design

Quarter of voided short cross with quatrefoils of pellets in angles within inner beaded circle, moneyer and mint name around.

Year of Minting

1180-1189

King

Henry II (1154-1189)

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Variable alignment ↺

Inscriptions

Obverse: hЄNRICVS • RЄX

Context

House of Plantagenet (1154-1399), Henry II (1154-89), Short Cross coinage (1180-89), Class 1b. Numerous mints and moneyer varieties exist. Henry II ascended the throne in 1154, but coins of Stephen's last type continued to be minted until 1158. The new coinage bearing Henry's name was more commonly referred to as the 'Tealby' coinage, as over 6,000 of these pennies were discovered at Tealby, Lincolnshire in 1807. In 1180 a coinage of new type, known as the Short Cross coinage, replaced the Tealby issue. The new coinage is remarkable in that it covers not only the latter part of the reign of Henry II, but also the reigns of his sons Richard and John and on into the reign of his grandson Henry III, and the entire issue bears the name 'hENRICVS'. Medieval coins were cut into halves and quarters to provide fractional denominations without the need to strike new coins. It is thought these were generally cut at the mint, although it is also likely to have happened during transactions. Cut farthings are known in England from Anglo-Saxon times (c. 750s) until Edward I introduced round farthings and halfpennies in the new coinage of 1279.

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Standard circulation

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0