Medieval Hammered Farthings

Henry III - Hammered Farthings

Henry III (1216–1272)

Henry III’s reign saw significant monetary experimentation. While pennies remained dominant, increasing demand for small change led to the introduction of round farthings, intended to replace the then current practice of cutting pennies into halves or quarters to make small change.

Historical Context

Documentary records from 1222 authorised the production of round farthings under Henry III, with 16 dies issued for their manufacture and royal proclamations regulating their use. While the number of dies issued implies that thousands of round farthings may have been struck, surviving examples are exceptionally rare, with the first recorded discovery occurring in 1991...
On Ash-Wednesday 1222 Ilger, King Henry III's goldsmith and three others, as Custodes Monetae of the City of London; Adam Blund, and seven others, the Custodes Cuneorum [keepers of the dies]; were sworn before the Justiciary. "On the same day eight dies for making halfpennies and farthings, were delivered to them. And afterward, on the Thursday before Easter, eight dies for pennies, eight for halfpennies, and the same number for farthings" were further supplied, over and above the eight before mentioned."
There is documentary evidence that significant numbers of farthings were produced and in circulation, for on 25 February 1224 all Sheriffs were commanded "to make [a] proclamation that, within 15 days after Easter, no halfpenny or farthing should be current unless it were round; and that no others should be paid, or received, on pain of forfeiture." 1

Coin Characteristics

  • Metal: Silver
  • Denomination: Farthing (¼ penny)
  • Mint(s): London
  • Obverse: Crowned head with sceptre
  • Reverse: Short cross with 4 pellets in each quarter
  • Coin diameter: 10-11mm
  • Inner circle diameter: 10-11mm
  • Weight: 0.31-0.34g

Coin Examples

Henry III TERRI London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Obverse 1 Henry III TERRI London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Reverse 1
Henry III - Short Cross - Class 7a

Year(s): c.1222
Mint: London
Moneyer: TERRI (Terricus le Chaunier - a Custodes Monetae)

Obverse: HEN·RI·RE X, crowned facing portrait, with sceptre in the legend. Legend starting at 11 o'clock.

Reverse: TERRIONLVN·D with horizontal crescent surrounding a pellet at 12 o'clock. "Short Cross" with four pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s): S.1357E, North 981/5

Scarcity: Extremely rare

Guide Price: £2500 (Fine) £7500 (Very Fine)

Henry III TERRI London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Obverse 2 Henry III TERRI London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Reverse 2
Henry III - Short Cross - Class 7a

Year(s): c.1222
Mint: London
Moneyer: TERRI (Terricus le Chaunier - a Custodes Monetae)

Obverse: HEN·RI·RE X, crowned facing portrait, with sceptre in the legend. Legend starting at 11 o'clock.

Reverse: TER·RIONLVN· (double barred N in LVN) with horizontal crescent surrounding a pellet at 12 o'clock. "Short Cross" with four pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s): S.1357E, North 981/5

Scarcity: Extremely rare

Guide Price: £2500 (Fine) £7500 (Very Fine)

Henry III ILGER London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Obverse 1 Henry III ILGER London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Reverse 1
Henry III - Short Cross - Class 7a

Year(s): c.1222
Mint: London
Moneyer: ILGER (Ilgerius Aurifaber - the king's goldsmith and a Custodes Monetae)

Obverse: HEN·RI·RE X, crowned facing portrait, with sceptre in the legend. Legend starting at 11 o'clock.

Reverse: ILGERONLVND with horizontal crescent surrounding a pellet at 12 o'clock. "Short Cross" with four pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s): S.1357E, North 981/5

Scarcity: Extremely rare

Guide Price: £2500 (Fine) £7500 (Very Fine)

Henry III ILGER London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Obverse 2 Henry III ILGER London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Reverse 2
Henry III - Short Cross - Class 7a

Year(s): c.1222
Mint: London
Moneyer: ILGER (Ilgerius Aurifaber - the king's goldsmith and a Custodes Monetae)

Obverse: HEN·RI·RE X, crowned facing portrait, with sceptre in the legend. Legend starting at 11 o'clock.

Reverse: ILGERONLV with horizontal crescent surrounding a pellet at 12 o'clock. "Short Cross" with four pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s): S.1357E, North 981/5

Scarcity: Extremely rare

Guide Price: £2500 (Fine) £7500 (Very Fine)

Henry III - Short Cross - Class 7a

Year(s): c.1222
Mint: London
Moneyer: ADAM (Adam Blund - a Custodes Cuneorum)

Obverse: HEN·RI·RE X, crowned facing portrait, with sceptre in the legend. Legend starting at 11 o'clock.

Reverse: ADAMONLVND? with horizontal crescent surrounding a pellet at 12 o'clock. "Short Cross" with four pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s): S.1357E, North 981/5

Scarcity: Extremely rare

Guide Price: £2500 (Fine) £7500 (Very Fine)

Henry III RAULF London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Obverse 1 Henry III RAULF London Farthing Short Cross Issue - Reverse 1
Henry III - Short Cross - Class 7a

Year(s): c.1222
Mint: London
Moneyer: RAULF (Randulphus Frowik - a Custodes Monetae)

Obverse: HENRI RE X, crowned facing portrait, with sceptre in the legend. Legend starting at 11 o'clock.

Reverse: RAUFONLV with horizontal crescent at 12 o'clock. "Short Cross" with four pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s): S.1357E, North 981/5

Scarcity: Extremely rare

Guide Price: £2500 (Fine) £7500 (Very Fine)

Corpus of Coins

This corpus records all coins available for study or known from published sources, auction catalogues and FPLs. Within each section, obverse dies are designated by a type number and a sub-type number, and reverse dies by lower-case letters (e.g 1.2a). An asterisk (*) indicates that there is an illustration on this page of a representative example of that die combination. Recorded weights are given where available.

Abbreviations

  • Birm. — Birmingham Museum
  • BM — British Museum
  • PAS — Portable Antiquities Scheme
  • PC — Private Collections
  • wnr — weight not recorded
HEN·RI·RE X / TERRIONLVN·D
1* obv. BM; ref. CM 1991,0402.1(opens in a new tab); found by detectorist David Steadman on a beach between Kessingland and Southwold, the first Henry III round farthing found; 0.29g
2* rev. PC; private sale; 0.29g/12h
HEN·RI·RE X / TER·RIONLVN·
3* PC; private sale; 0.30g/2h
4 PC; wnr
HEN·RI·RE X / ILGERONLVND
5 PC; wnr
6* Birm.; 2001 C 13; dectorist find 2001 nr. Worcestershire, acquired by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (with grant aid from Resource/V & A Purchase Grant Museum Fund); 0.31g 7 PC; CNG, Auction 38, 6-7 June 1996, lot 1765; 0.26g
HEN·RI·RE X / ILGERONLV
8* PC; private sale; 0.33g/2h
HEN·RI·RE X / ADAMONLVND?
9 PC; wnr
HENRI RE X / RAUFONLV
10* PAS; LIN-201EA2(opens in a new tab); private sale; 0.34g/6h
11 PC; wnr
12 PC; wnr


Footnotes

  1. Ruding, Rogers. Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its Dependencies. Vol. 1. London, 1817, 348-9. ↩

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