British Silver Coins - Kings Henry IV, V, and VI.
The following coins we have not the means of appropriating correctly to their respective kings; they have various mint marks and various objects, inserted either about the type or between the words of the legends; they generally read HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC., but there are slight occasional variations. We arrange our descriptions under their respective mint marks.
Groats: all London: MM. Plain cross, mullet on king's left breast, and cross after POSVI. MB.
MM. Cross voided. Leave or pine cone on king's breast, and under the last M in MEVM, a lozenge after REX and before DONDON. (so spelt). MB. (328).
MM. Cross crosslet. Three pellets at each side of king's neck, and one small additional pellet in two quarters of reverse; leaf? on king's breast. MB. Without the additional pellets, and reads SIVITAS. MB. Another reads correctly and has MM. on rev. plain cross. MB. Additional pellets on rev. and one at each side of the crown, cross on king's neck, lozenge after HENRIC and GRA. (329). MB. There can be little doubt that a specimen of this coin, blundered or purposefully altered, gave rise to the idea of the Arabic figure of 4 appearing upon a coin of any of the Henries. See Rud. Sup. I. 41. Another, similar, has also a pierced mullet after POSVI. MB.
Rose after HENRIC, DI, GRA, ANGL, POSVI, and LONDON, and lozenge after REX and before LONDON. MM. on rev. cross. MB. (330).
Leaf or pine cone after HENRIC, DI, GRA, POSVI and LONDON, in other respects same as last. MB. Leaf after DI, POSVI and LONDON, lozenge after REX and CIVITAS. Rud. iv. 14.
Three pellets at side of king's neck, and after GRA. Leaf before and three pellets after LONDON. MB.
MM. cross pierced, lozenge after CIVITAS, rose after LONDON. MB. Annulet between the pellets in two quarters and after POSVI. Rud. iv. 10. MB.
MM. lis Rev. MM. cross. Rud. Sup. ii. 20.
The groats which have three pellets at the side of the king's neck were probably struck by Henry VI., as no such ornaments appear upon the groats of Edward III., but are very frequent upon those of Edward IV.
Half groats: London: HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGLIE Z F. MM. cross pierced, star on middle of breast, annulet on one side, three pellets on the other side of the crown; the tressure has eleven arches; small crosses after the words, some more some less. MB. r. 28 5/10 gr. (331). Similar, but without the three pellets. MB. Similar to the last but FR. MB. Star on king's left breast, cross after POSVI. MB. 27 6/10 gr. Rose after HENRIC, DI, GRA, lozenge before, leaf after LONDON. Rud. iv. 16.
MM. cross, reads ANGL Z F. Sn. ii. 24. or Z FR.
MM. cross crosslet, reads ANGL Z F. Annulet after POSVI, and in two of the quarters, two small crosses after CIVITAS and LONDON. MB. Leaf or pine cone after HENRIC, DI, GRA and LONDON, lozenge after REX and CIVITAS. MB. 27 5/10.
Pennies: London: MM. cross. HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL. Rud. Sup. ii. 25. MB. This is the earliest penny on which DEI GRATIA occurs, and probably belongs to Henry VI. or Henry VII.--HENRIC REX ANGLIE Z F. mullet at one side of crown, trefoil at the other, 26. MB.--Lis at one side, trefoil at the other, Sup. ii. 14.--HENRICUS REX ANGLIE. annulet between the pellets in two angles. MB.- -HENRICUS REX ANGLI lozenge after REX, cross at each side of crown. Rud. Sup. ii. 13.--HEN RIC REX ANGLI, lozenge before and after REX, trefoil after HEN. cross on breast, pellet at each side of crown, MM. cross fleuree or crosslet. Rev. additional pellet in two angles. (333). MB. HENRIC REX A . . . . annulet at left, pellet at right of crown, trefoil before, cross after REX, leaf? on king's breast, additional pellet in each angle. MB.
Durham: MM. cross, HENRICVS REX ANGLIE, mullet at left of crown, lozenge after REX and DVNOLMI. (332). MB.--ANGLE. no mullet, MM. cross crosslet? Rud. Sup. iii. 4. MB.--Trefoil on breast, DVRVIC. MB. false coin?--Lis on breast, D in centre of cross. Mi>CUFF. One Durham penny has two annulets in the centre of the cross, a pellet on each limb. The pellets in the angles are formed into a triangle by a line drawn from each; and in one triangle is an additional pellet. MB. HENRIC REX ANGLI Rev. DVNOLM. with M in centre of cross. Sn. ii. 23. Similar with a pellet at each side of crown. Rud. Sup. ii. 27. MB. This and the preceding are probably different representations of the same coin, the object called an M. is not such, probably only two annulets, but they have been supposed to be C D for Civitas Dunelm--HENRICVS &c. mullet at left, annulet at right side of crown. Rev. annulet between the pellets in two quarters, DVNOLM, no M in centre. Rud. Sup. ii. 16.--ANGLIE. quatrefoil after legend of obv. and CIVITAS, no annulets on rev. MB.--HENRIC &c. MM. cross crosslet. Rev. DVNOLM. annulet on centre of cross. Rud. Sup. 2. ii. 31.
Halfpennies: London: HENRIC REX ANGL. MM. cross, lozenge? before, rosette? after LONDON. MB. Leaf on breast. Rud. Sup. iii. 6. MB. Leaf on breast, pellet at each side of crown, and in two quarters. MB. Similar but without extra pellets in the quarters, but a large one under DON. MB.--Leaf on breast, lozenge after REX, lis or leaf under N in Lon. MB.--Leaf on breast, cross before, lozenge? after REX. MB.--Annulet at each side of crown. Sup. ii. 15. MB.--Three pellets at one side of crown, annulet at the other. MB.--Annulet between pellets in two quarters. Rud. Sup. ii. 17. MB.--Additional pellet in two quarters. CUFF.
MM. cross fleury or crosslet, lozenge before, leaf after REX, lozenge before TAS. (334). MB.-- Apparently the same but without lozenge before TAS. MB. Lozenge after, rose before REX: rose after LONDON, lozenge before TAS. MB. Similar but lozenge also before LONDON. Sir H. ELLIS. Lozenge after REX, something uncertain before it. MB.--MM. cross crosslet? no peculiar marks. Rud. Sup. iii. 8.--ANGLI. cross fleury, cross at each side of neck. Rud. Sup. iii. 7.--Pellet at each side of crown. MB.--Similar but two crosses after ANGLI. MB. ANGL. annulet at each side of crown, two crosses after REX, before? one cross after CIVITAS and LONDON. MB.
Farthings: London: HENRIC REX ANGL. no peculiarities. (335). Rud iv. 22. Sn. ii. 21. MB.
The following coins we have not the means of appropriating correctly to their respective kings; they have various mint marks and various objects, inserted either about the type or between the words of the legends; they generally read HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC., but there are slight occasional variations. We arrange our descriptions under their respective mint marks.
Groats: all London: MM. Plain cross, mullet on king's left breast, and cross after POSVI. MB.
MM. Cross voided. Leave or pine cone on king's breast, and under the last M in MEVM, a lozenge after REX and before DONDON. (so spelt). MB. (328).
MM. Cross crosslet. Three pellets at each side of king's neck, and one small additional pellet in two quarters of reverse; leaf? on king's breast. MB. Without the additional pellets, and reads SIVITAS. MB. Another reads correctly and has MM. on rev. plain cross. MB. Additional pellets on rev. and one at each side of the crown, cross on king's neck, lozenge after HENRIC and GRA. (329). MB. There can be little doubt that a specimen of this coin, blundered or purposefully altered, gave rise to the idea of the Arabic figure of 4 appearing upon a coin of any of the Henries. See Rud. Sup. I. 41. Another, similar, has also a pierced mullet after POSVI. MB.
Rose after HENRIC, DI, GRA, ANGL, POSVI, and LONDON, and lozenge after REX and before LONDON. MM. on rev. cross. MB. (330).
Leaf or pine cone after HENRIC, DI, GRA, POSVI and LONDON, in other respects same as last. MB. Leaf after DI, POSVI and LONDON, lozenge after REX and CIVITAS. Rud. iv. 14.
Three pellets at side of king's neck, and after GRA. Leaf before and three pellets after LONDON. MB.
MM. cross pierced, lozenge after CIVITAS, rose after LONDON. MB. Annulet between the pellets in two quarters and after POSVI. Rud. iv. 10. MB.
MM. lis Rev. MM. cross. Rud. Sup. ii. 20.
The groats which have three pellets at the side of the king's neck were probably struck by Henry VI., as no such ornaments appear upon the groats of Edward III., but are very frequent upon those of Edward IV.
Half groats: London: HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGLIE Z F. MM. cross pierced, star on middle of breast, annulet on one side, three pellets on the other side of the crown; the tressure has eleven arches; small crosses after the words, some more some less. MB. r. 28 5/10 gr. (331). Similar, but without the three pellets. MB. Similar to the last but FR. MB. Star on king's left breast, cross after POSVI. MB. 27 6/10 gr. Rose after HENRIC, DI, GRA, lozenge before, leaf after LONDON. Rud. iv. 16.
MM. cross, reads ANGL Z F. Sn. ii. 24. or Z FR.
MM. cross crosslet, reads ANGL Z F. Annulet after POSVI, and in two of the quarters, two small crosses after CIVITAS and LONDON. MB. Leaf or pine cone after HENRIC, DI, GRA and LONDON, lozenge after REX and CIVITAS. MB. 27 5/10.
Pennies: London: MM. cross. HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL. Rud. Sup. ii. 25. MB. This is the earliest penny on which DEI GRATIA occurs, and probably belongs to Henry VI. or Henry VII.--HENRIC REX ANGLIE Z F. mullet at one side of crown, trefoil at the other, 26. MB.--Lis at one side, trefoil at the other, Sup. ii. 14.--HENRICUS REX ANGLIE. annulet between the pellets in two angles. MB.- -HENRICUS REX ANGLI lozenge after REX, cross at each side of crown. Rud. Sup. ii. 13.--HEN RIC REX ANGLI, lozenge before and after REX, trefoil after HEN. cross on breast, pellet at each side of crown, MM. cross fleuree or crosslet. Rev. additional pellet in two angles. (333). MB. HENRIC REX A . . . . annulet at left, pellet at right of crown, trefoil before, cross after REX, leaf? on king's breast, additional pellet in each angle. MB.
Durham: MM. cross, HENRICVS REX ANGLIE, mullet at left of crown, lozenge after REX and DVNOLMI. (332). MB.--ANGLE. no mullet, MM. cross crosslet? Rud. Sup. iii. 4. MB.--Trefoil on breast, DVRVIC. MB. false coin?--Lis on breast, D in centre of cross. Mi>CUFF. One Durham penny has two annulets in the centre of the cross, a pellet on each limb. The pellets in the angles are formed into a triangle by a line drawn from each; and in one triangle is an additional pellet. MB. HENRIC REX ANGLI Rev. DVNOLM. with M in centre of cross. Sn. ii. 23. Similar with a pellet at each side of crown. Rud. Sup. ii. 27. MB. This and the preceding are probably different representations of the same coin, the object called an M. is not such, probably only two annulets, but they have been supposed to be C D for Civitas Dunelm--HENRICVS &c. mullet at left, annulet at right side of crown. Rev. annulet between the pellets in two quarters, DVNOLM, no M in centre. Rud. Sup. ii. 16.--ANGLIE. quatrefoil after legend of obv. and CIVITAS, no annulets on rev. MB.--HENRIC &c. MM. cross crosslet. Rev. DVNOLM. annulet on centre of cross. Rud. Sup. 2. ii. 31.
Halfpennies: London: HENRIC REX ANGL. MM. cross, lozenge? before, rosette? after LONDON. MB. Leaf on breast. Rud. Sup. iii. 6. MB. Leaf on breast, pellet at each side of crown, and in two quarters. MB. Similar but without extra pellets in the quarters, but a large one under DON. MB.--Leaf on breast, lozenge after REX, lis or leaf under N in Lon. MB.--Leaf on breast, cross before, lozenge? after REX. MB.--Annulet at each side of crown. Sup. ii. 15. MB.--Three pellets at one side of crown, annulet at the other. MB.--Annulet between pellets in two quarters. Rud. Sup. ii. 17. MB.--Additional pellet in two quarters. CUFF.
MM. cross fleury or crosslet, lozenge before, leaf after REX, lozenge before TAS. (334). MB.-- Apparently the same but without lozenge before TAS. MB. Lozenge after, rose before REX: rose after LONDON, lozenge before TAS. MB. Similar but lozenge also before LONDON. Sir H. ELLIS. Lozenge after REX, something uncertain before it. MB.--MM. cross crosslet? no peculiar marks. Rud. Sup. iii. 8.--ANGLI. cross fleury, cross at each side of neck. Rud. Sup. iii. 7.--Pellet at each side of crown. MB.--Similar but two crosses after ANGLI. MB. ANGL. annulet at each side of crown, two crosses after REX, before? one cross after CIVITAS and LONDON. MB.
Farthings: London: HENRIC REX ANGL. no peculiarities. (335). Rud iv. 22. Sn. ii. 21. MB.