Plantagenet Coins – Henry III Long Cross Penny – 1250-1272

Description

Header: Plantagenet Coins – Henry III Long Cross Penny – 1250-1272

Denomination: Silver penny

Period: Plantagenet

Date: 1250-1272

Origin: London mint, Nicole moneyer, class 3c

Condition: VF; nice central. well struck flan but weak in parts 

Obverse: Crowned facing bust, with three curls of hair each side, no sceptre, *hENRICVS REX:III’

Reverse: Short voided cross with quatrefoil in each angle within a beaded circle, NICOLE ON LVND (ligatured ND)

Size and Weight: 18.5mm, 1.46g

References: S1364, North 988

Features and Provenance: Ex TimeLine sale.

Henry III Long Cross Penny

From the coins of Henry II, through to those of Richard and John, the coinage style had changed little and indeed the quality had deteriorated. With the first (yes, first) coronation of Henry III in 1216 at the age of just 9, Henry succeeded his father, John, during times of strife and this maybe why the coinage was not re-vamped for the next 30 years.

The pope at the time, effectively Henry’s superior, deemed that the first coronation was carried out in a rush (to stop Louis of France from taking the English throne) and therefore not valid, where at Gloucester Cathedral, Henry had to borrow robes and have them cut down to size and use his mother’s headdress as a crown! The second coronation was re-enacted in 1220 at the Popes behest. Later, in 1225 baronial unrest was quelled, when, unlike his father he willingly sealed and signed the Magna Carta (in fact three times) and it became enshrined in English law. He ruled for 56 years, so this very often overlooked English monarch, must have done something right to survive.

Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between

Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear

Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of legend etc present. visible and clear

Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present. but maybe worn

Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible