Classical Numismatics Discussion - Members' Coin Gallery
  Welcome Guest. Please login or register. Share Your Collection With Your Friends And With The World!!! A FREE Service Provided By Forum Ancient Coins No Limit To The Number Of Coins You Can Add - More Is Better!!! Is Your Coin The Best Of Type? Add It And Compete For The Title Have You Visited An Ancient Site - Please Share Your Photos!!! Use The Members' Coin Gallery As A Reference To Identify Your Coins Please Visit Our Shop And Find A Coin To Add To Your Gallery Today!!!

Member Collections | Members' Gallery Home | Login | Album list | Last uploads | Last comments | Most viewed | Top rated | My Favorites | Search
Last additions - *Alex
1806_George_III_farthing.jpg
1806 GEORGE III AE FarthingObverse: GEORGIUS III • D : G • REX. 1806. Laureate bust of George III facing right.
Reverse: BRITANNIA. Britannia seated facing left, holding olive branch and trident. Small ship in background to left; mint-mark SOHO below shield.
Diameter: 22mm | Weight: 4.6gms
SPINK: 3482

The portrait of George III was designed by Conrad Heinrich Kuchler (c.1740 - 1810), this is marked by a small "K" in the drapery at the base of the King's bust. The reverse of this coin was also designed by Kuchler, this is indicated by a small "K" to the bottom left of Britannia's shield. Kuchler moved to Birmingham in 1795 and designed many of the coins and medals which were struck at Matthew Boulton's SOHO mint.*AlexApr 12, 2020
1799_George_III_Halfpenny.JPG
1799 GEORGE III AE HALFPENNYObverse: GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX. Laureate and draped bust of George III facing right.
Reverse: BRITANNIA 1799. Britannia seated facing left, holding olive branch and trident, small ship with five gunports in left background; mint-mark SOHO below shield.
Edge: Centre grained.
Diameter: 30mm.
SPINK: 3778

This portrait of George III was designed by Conrad Heinrich Kuchler (c.1740 - 1810). Kuchler moved to Birmingham in 1795 and designed many of the coins and medals which were struck at Matthew Boulton's SOHO mint.*AlexApr 12, 2020
GEORGE_III_Penny_1806.JPG
1806 GEORGE III AE PennyObverse: GEORGIUS III • D : G • REX. 1806. Laureate bust of George III facing right.
Reverse: BRITANNIA. Britannia seated facing left, holding olive branch and trident. Small ship in background to left; mint-mark SOHO below shield.
Diameter: 34mm | Weight: 19.2gms
SPINK: 3780

The portrait of George III was designed by Conrad Heinrich Kuchler (c.1740 - 1810), this is marked by a small "K" in the drapery at the base of the King's bust. The reverse of this coin was also designed by Kuchler, this is indicated by a small "K" to the bottom left of Britannia's shield. Kuchler moved to Birmingham in 1795 and designed many of the coins and medals which were struck at Matthew Boulton's SOHO mint.
*AlexApr 12, 2020
1826_GEORGE_IV_PENNY.JPG
1826 GEORGE IV AE PENNYObverse: GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA • 1826 •. Laureate head of George IV facing left.
Reverse: BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: . Britannia seated facing right, right hand resting on shield, left holding trident. Shamrock, Rose and Thistle (indicative of Ireland, England and Scotland respectively) in exergue.
Diameter 34mm
SPINK: 3823

This portrait of George IV, used on his later coinage, was designed by William Wyon (1795 - 1851).
With the issues of George IV, Britannia now appears on pennies, halfpennies and farthings facing right instead of left, she would remain that way until 1967. She also acquires a helmet, recalling Roma and, before that, Athena.
*AlexApr 09, 2020
1828_George_IV_Half_Farthing.JPG
1828 GEORGE IV AE HALF FARTHINGObverse: GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA 1828. Laureate head of George IV facing left.
Reverse: BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: Britannia seated facing right, right hand resting on shield, left holding trident. Shamrock, Rose and Thistle (indicative of Ireland, England and Scotland respectively) in exergue.
Diameter 18mm | Axis 12
SPINK: 3826

This portrait of George IV, used on all his later coinage, was designed by William Wyon (1795 - 1851).

The half-farthing was first issued in 1828, a year later than the third farthing, for use exclusively in Ceylon. However, it is usually considered to be part of the British coin series as Ceylon used British currency at that time.
*AlexApr 09, 2020
1827_George_IV_Third__Farthing.JPG
1827 GEORGE IV AE THIRD FARTHINGObverse: GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA • 1827 •. Laureate head of George IV facing left.
Reverse: BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: Britannia seated facing right, right hand resting on shield, left holding trident. Shamrock, Rose and Thistle (indicative of Ireland, England and Scotland respectively) in exergue.
Diameter 16mm
SPINK: 3827

This portrait of George IV, used on all his later coinage, was designed by William Wyon (1795 - 1851).
With the issues of George IV, Britannia now appears on pennies, halfpennies and farthings and fractions facing right instead of left, she would remain that way until 1967. She also acquires a helmet, recalling Roma and, before that, Athena.


This coin was produced in 1827 exclusively for use in Malta, but it is considered to be part of the British coinage as at that time Malta was considered more as a part of Britain than a colony. The grano, a coin dating from before British rule, was valued at a twelfth of a penny so the decision was made to coin the equivalent in a British denomination. Because the cost of living was lower in Malta than in Britain it was not considered necessary to introduce the third-farthing coin into Britain itself.
*AlexApr 09, 2020
1835_William_IV_Third__Farthing.JPG
1835 William IV AE THIRD FARTHINGObverse: GULIELMUS IIII DEI GRATIA 1835. Bare head of William IV facing right.
Reverse: BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: Britannia seated facing right, right hand resting on shield, left holding trident. Shamrock, Rose and Thistle (indicative of Ireland, England and Scotland respectively) in exergue.
Diameter 16mm
SPINK: 3850

William IV's portrait was designed by William Wyon (1795 - 1851).

This coin was produced exclusively for use in Malta, but it is considered to be part of the British coinage as at that time Malta was considered more as a part of Britain than a colony. Because the cost of living was lower in Malta than in Britain it was not considered necessary to introduce the third-farthing coin into Britain itself.
*AlexApr 09, 2020
1853_Victoria_Farthing.JPG
1853 VICTORIA COPPER "YOUNG HEAD" FARTHINGObverse: VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1853. Young head of Queen Victoria facing left.
Reverse: BRITANNIAR: REG: FID: DEF: Britannia seated facing right, right arm resting on shield, left arm holding trident. Shamrock, Rose and Thistle (indicative of Ireland, England and Scotland respectively) in exergue.
Diameter 22mm
SPINK: 3950

Victoria's "young head" portrait was designed by William Wyon (1795 - 1851), this is marked by a small raised "WW" at the base of the Queen's neck on this coin.*AlexApr 09, 2020
1844_VICTORIA_Third-Farthing.JPG
1844 VICTORIA COPPER THIRD FARTHINGObverse: VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1844. Young head of Queen Victoria facing left.
Reverse: BRITANNIAR: REG: FID : DEF : Britannia seated facing right, right hand resting on shield, left holding trident. Shamrock, Rose and Thistle (indicative of Ireland, England and Scotland respectively) in exergue.
Diameter 16mm
SPINK: 3952

This portrait of Queen Victoria was designed by William Wyon (1795 - 1851).

This coin was produced exclusively for use in Malta, but it is considered to be part of the British coinage as at that time Malta was considered more as a part of Britain than a colony. Because the cost of living was lower in Malta than in Britain it was not considered necessary to introduce the third-farthing coin into Britain itself.
*AlexApr 09, 2020
1399_-_1413_Henry_IV_AR_Hardi.JPG
MEDIEVAL, Anglo-Gallic, Henry IV (1399 - 1413), AR Hardi d'Argent, Struck 1399 -1453 at Bordeaux, Aquitaine, FranceObverse: ERIC R ANGLIE ✤ Crowned and robed half-length figure of Henry facing under Gothic canopy, holding sword in right hand, left hand raised with finger pointing in benedictory position. Mullet over crown, rosette either side of crown. Rosette in legend.
Reverse: FRA-CIE ✤ DNS AQI ✤ Long cross collarino, pattée at the ends, extending through legend. Fleur de lis with roundel underneath in second and third quarters; lion passant, guardant in first and fourth quarters, roundel over lion in fourth quarter. Rosettes in legend.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 1.13gms | Axis 10
SPINK: 8147 | Elias: 233h
Ex. Bazas Hoard | Ex. Jean Elsen (Belgium) | Scarce

The last series of these Anglo-Gallic coins was likely struck under more than one Henry and they have not currently been differentiated by ruler because the legends and types are generic. However, over time, Anglo-Gallic issues suffered from regular debasement and a deterioration in workmanship, the size, weight and quality of the strike of this coin would therefore all seem to point to it being an early example.

The Bazas Hoard
This hoard was discovered in May 2004 by a builder at Bazas in south West France when he was renovating a house. Bazas was a regional centre in the middle ages. The hoard consisted of a mixture of medieval coins which had been minted in Spain, Portugal, Italy, England, the Netherlands and various French duchies. Of the 1010 coins found, 157 were gold, 300 were silver and the remainder were billon. The oldest coin was a King Jean II franc from 1360 and the rarest coin was a gold castellano from the time of Henry IV of Castile, of which only one other example is known to exist.
1 comments*AlexMar 04, 2020
1542_-_1548_MARY_Queen_of_Scots_AR_Bawbee.JPG
MEDIEVAL, SCOTLAND, MARY (Queen of Scots 1542 - 1567), AR billon Bawbee (sixpence), struck 1542 - 1558 at EdinburghObverse: +MARIA•D•G•R•SCOTORVM. Crowned thistle, M to left, R to right, beaded circles and legend surrounding. Greek cross in legend.
Reverse: OPPIDVM•EDINBVRGI, retrograde N in legend. Crown over voided saltire cross, cinquefoil on either side, beaded circles and legend surrounding, fleur-de-lis within legend above.
Diameter: 22mm | Weight: 1.8gms | Die Axis: 10
SPINK: 5433
*AlexMar 04, 2020
1329_-_1371_David_II_AR_Groat.JPG
MEDIEVAL, SCOTLAND, DAVID II (1329 - 1371), AR Groat struck 1367 - 1371 at EdinburghObverse: + DAVID ‡ DEI ‡ GRA ‡ REX ‡ SCOTORVM. Crowned bust of David II facing left, sceptre topped with a lis and with a star at its base before, within double tressure of six arches broken at the king's neck, small trefoils in spandrels, surrounded by beaded inner circle. Mintmark, cross pattée in legend and two small crosses in spaces between words. The whole within beaded outer circle.
Reverse: + DnS PTECTOR MS LIBATOR MS (God is my protector and redeemer) / VILLA EDINBURGh. Long cross pattée dividing two concentric legends separated by two beaded circles into quarters, pierced mullet in each quarter of inner circle. Mintmark, cross pattée in outer legend. The whole within beaded outer circle.
Diameter: 28mm | Weight: 3.55gms | Die Axis: 6 | Class D, third (light) coinage
SPINK: 5125
1 comments*AlexMar 04, 2020
841_-849_AETHELRED_II_AE_Styca~0.JPG
ANGLO-SAXON, Northumbria, ÆTHELRED II (A.D.841 - 849), AE Styca, Struck A.D.841 - 844 at YorkObverse: + EDILRED REX around large Greek cross, small Greek cross in legend.
Reverse: + EANRED around small Greek cross. Small Greek cross in legend. Moneyer: Eanred.
Diameter: 13mm | Weight: 0.9gms | Die Axis: 6
Issue: First Reign, Phase II, Group Cii
SPINK: 865 | Pirie: 1374 (same dies)
*AlexMar 04, 2020
810_-_841_EANRED_AE_Styca~0.JPG
ANGLO-SAXON, Northumbria, EANRED (A.D.810 - 841), AE Styca, Struck at YorkObverse: + EANRED REX around small cross pattée. Cross pattée in legend.
Reverse: + FORDRED around small cross patoncé. Cross pattée in legend. Moneyer: Fordred.
Grey patina with slight silver sheen
Diameter: 12mm | Weight: 0.9gms | Die Axis: 12
SPINK: 862
*AlexMar 04, 2020
810_-_841_EANRED_AE_Styca.JPG
810 - 841, EANRED, Anglo-Saxon king of Northumbria, AE Styca, Struck c.830 - 835 at York, EnglandObverse: + EANRED REX around small cross pattée. Cross pattée in legend.
Reverse: + FORDRED around small cross patoncé. Cross pattée in legend. Moneyer: Fordred.
Phase 1b issue
Grey patina with slight silver sheen
Diameter: 12mm | Weight: 0.9gms | Die Axis: 12h
SPINK: 862

Initially a base silver coin, after the devastating Viking attack on Lindisfarne in 793, with its subsequent commercial impact on the kingdom of Northumberland, Eanred's second issue of stycas were debased by having their silver content replaced by zinc. There was a further debasement of the coinage in 829 after Eanred's submission to Ecgberht of Wessex, such that the styca became basically a copper alloy coin.

Eanred was king of Northumbria in the early ninth century.but very little is known for certain about him. Roger of Wendover, a 13th century English chronicler, states that Eanred reigned from 810 until 840, but the twelfth-century History of the Church of Durham records a reign of 33 years. Given the turbulence of Northumbrian history in this period, a reign of this length suggests a figure of some significance. Eanred was the son of King Eardwulf, who was deposed by an otherwise unknown Ælfwald in 806. According to the History of the Church of Durham, Ælfwald ruled for two years before Eanred succeeded. However Frankish sources claim that, after being expelled from England, Eardwulf was received by Charlemagne and then the pope, and that their envoys escorted him back to Northumbria and secured his restoration to power. The precise nature of the succession of Eanred is therefore unclear but all the sources agree that Eanred was eventually succeeded by his son, Æthelred.

The Kingdom of Northumbria was a medieval Anglian kingdom in what is now Northern England and South-east Scotland. The name derives from the Old English Norþan-hymbre meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", Northumbria started to consolidate into one kingdom in the early seventh century when the two earlier territories of Deira and Bernicia united. At its height, the kingdom extended from the Humber Estuary in the south to the Firth of Forth (now in Scotland) in the north.
Northumbria ceased to be an independent kingdom in the mid-tenth century.
1 comments*AlexFeb 05, 2020
David_II_Groat.JPG
1329 - 1371, David II, AR Groat struck 1367 - 1371 at Edinburgh, ScotlandObverse: + DAVID ‡ DEI ‡ GRA ‡ REX ‡ SCOTORVM. Crowned bust of David II facing left, sceptre topped with a lis and with a star at its base before, within double tressure of six arches broken at the king's neck, small trefoils in spandrels, surrounded by beaded inner circle. Mintmark, cross pattée in legend and two small crosses in spaces between words. The whole within beaded outer circle.
Reverse: + DnS PTECTOR MS LIBATOR MS (God is my protector and redeemer) / VILLA EDINBURGh. Long cross pattée dividing two concentric legends separated by two beaded circles into quarters, pierced mullet in each quarter of inner circle. Mintmark, cross pattée in outer legend. The whole within beaded outer circle.
Diameter: 28mm | Weight: 3.55gms | Die Axis: 6h | Class D, third (light) coinage
SPINK: 5125

David Bruce, Robert the Bruce's only surviving son, was King of Scotland for nearly 42 years, from 1329 until his death in 1371. David was born in 1324 when Bruce was aged 50 and at the age of four he was married to Joan, the seven year old sister of Edward III of England at a time when Robert the Bruce was trying to forge better relations with England. However David was only five years old when, in 1329, his father died, he was crowned as King David II at Scone on 24 November 1331, holding a small sceptre that had been specially made for him.
Edward Balliol, son of John Balliol, supported by a number of nobles who had been disinherited by Robert the Bruce, soon started a rebellion. In August 1332 at the Battle of Dupplin Moor, near Perth, Balliol defeated David's Regent, the Earl of Mar, and in September Balliol was crowned at Scone. He was soon deposed by the supporters of David II but, in 1333, after the Scottish army led by Archibald, Lord of Douglas, attacked Balliol and lost at the Battle of Halidon Hill, Balliol was restored to power. But this Scottish game of thrones continued for several more years, Balliol was deposed again in 1334 only to be restored in 1335. The young King David was driven into exile in France, but returned from there in 1341, and finally deposed Edward Balliol for the last time.
In 1346, responding to an appeal for help from France, David II invaded England. But, at the Battle of Neville's Cross, he was captured and remained a prisoner at the English court until 1357 when he was returned to Scotland on the promise of payment of a large ransom.
David II ruled with authority and trade increased during his rule. He continued to pursue the goal of a final peace with England and, at the time of his death, the Scottish monarchy was stronger, and the kingdom and the royal finances more prosperous than might have seemed possible.
David II died unexpectedly, in Edinburgh Castle, on 22 February 1371. He was buried in Holyrood Abbey, pictured above. David II left no children and he was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II, the son of David's half-sister, Marjorie Bruce.

1 comments*AlexJan 26, 2020
Holyrood_Abbey,_Edinburgh.JPG
LINK TO COINDAVID II OF SCOTLAND

David Bruce, Robert the Bruce's only surviving son, was King of Scotland for nearly 42 years, from 1329 until his death in 1371. David was born in 1324 when Bruce was aged 50 and at the age of four he was married to Joan, the seven year old sister of Edward III of England at a time when Robert the Bruce was trying to forge better relations with England. However David was only five years old when, in 1329, his father died, he was crowned as King David II at Scone on 24 November 1331, holding a small sceptre that had been specially made for him.
Edward Balliol, son of John Balliol, supported by a number of nobles who had been disinherited by Robert the Bruce, soon started a rebellion. In August 1332 at the Battle of Dupplin Moor, near Perth, Balliol defeated David's Regent, the Earl of Mar, and in September Balliol was crowned at Scone. He was soon deposed by the supporters of David II but, in 1333, after the Scottish army led by Archibald, Lord of Douglas, attacked Balliol and lost at the Battle of Halidon Hill, Balliol was restored to power. But this Scottish game of thrones continued for several more years, Balliol was deposed again in 1334 only to be restored in 1335. The young King David was driven into exile in France, but returned from there in 1341, and finally deposed Edward Balliol for the last time.
In 1346, responding to an appeal for help from France, David II invaded England. But, at the Battle of Neville's Cross, he was captured and remained a prisoner at the English court until 1357 when he was returned to Scotland on the promise of payment of a large ransom.
David II ruled with authority and trade increased during his rule. He continued to pursue the goal of a final peace with England and, at the time of his death, the Scottish monarchy was stronger, and the kingdom and the royal finances more prosperous than might have seemed possible.
David II died unexpectedly, in Edinburgh Castle, on 22 February 1371. He was buried in Holyrood Abbey, pictured above. David II left no children and he was succeeded by his nephew, Robert II, the son of David's half-sister, Marjorie Bruce.

*AlexJan 26, 2020
1180-1189_Henry_II_Penny_Short-cross.JPG
1154 - 1189, HENRY II, AR Short-cross Penny, Struck 1180 - 1189 at Winchester, EnglandObverse: HENRICVS • REX around central circle enclosing a crowned, draped and bearded facing bust of Henry II holding a sceptre tipped with a cross pommee in his right hand.
Reverse: + GOCELM • ON • WIN. Voided short cross dividing legend into quarters, crosslets in each quarter of inner circle. Cross pattée in legend. Moneyer: Gocelm, which is a name of Germanic Frankish origin.
Issue type Class 1b
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 1.3gms | Die Axis: 6h
SPINK: 1344

On the night of 14th/15th July 1180 the Winchester mint burnt down, and the fire spread to "the greater and better part" of the city. The production of the new Short Cross coinage had just started earlier in 1180, and Winchester evidently only had one centralized mint building from the beginning of the new coinage. At the time of the fire the mint appears to have had four moneyers (Clement, Gocelm, Henri, and Rodbert), and Short Cross Class Ia2 was in production. After the fire some of the mint's obverse dies of Classes Ia1 and Ia2 were used at the Wilton mint, apparently as an emergency measure. The coinage of the moneyer Henri ends abruptly at this time and he seems to have been replaced by Adam, whose known issues start in Class Ia2, and at Wilton in Class 1a2 it looks like Osbert replaced Iohan. Osbert continued to issue coins in Winchester after the fire, but he seems to have been regarded as a Wilton moneyer allowed to use the facilities of the Winchester mint. The Winchester coinage of Osbert and three other moneyers (Clement, Reinier, and Rodbert) whose issues end in Class Ib1 was probably restricted to the recoinage of 1180 to 1182. After that only two moneyers remained striking Class Ib2 at Winchester (Adam and Gocelm) and, from 1183 to 1184, it is recorded that these moneyers were responsible for a rent of 2 marks each per annum for the use of the mint building.

Henry II became King of England in 1154 and reigned until his death in 1189. He was the first king of the House of Plantagenet. Henry became Count of Anjou and Maine upon the death of his father, Count Geoffrey V, in 1151, his marriage in 1152 to Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Louis VII had recently been annulled, made him Duke of Aquitaine. He became Count of Nantes by treaty in 1185.
By the age of 14, Henry became actively involved in the efforts of his mother Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England, to claim the English throne, then occupied by Stephen of Blois. Stephen agreed to a peace treaty after Henry's military expedition to England in 1153, and Henry inherited the kingdom on Stephen's death a year later. Henry was an energetic and sometimes ruthless ruler, driven by a desire to restore the lands and privileges of his grandfather Henry I. During the early years of his reign Henry re-established hegemony over Wales and gained full control over his lands in Anjou, Maine and Touraine. Henry's desire to reform the relationship with the Church led to conflict with his former friend Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This culminated in the murder of Becket by the high altar in his own church in 1170. This horrified Christians and, although Beckett was apparently disliked by the monks in life, in death he became a martyr, was canonised, and a religious cult grew up around his sainthood.
Henry II soon came into conflict with Louis VII, and the two rulers fought what has been termed a "cold war" over several decades. Henry expanded his empire at Louis's expense, taking Brittany and pushing east into central France and south into Toulouse, but despite numerous conferences and treaties, no lasting peace agreement was reached.
Henry and Eleanor had eight children—three daughters and five sons. As the sons grew up, tensions over the future inheritance of the kingdom began to emerge, encouraged by Louis and his son King Philip II. In 1173 Henry's heir apparent, "Young Henry", rebelled in protest; he was joined by his brothers Richard (later king) and Geoffrey and by their mother, Eleanor. France, Scotland, Brittany, Flanders, and Boulogne all allied themselves with the rebels. This “Great Revolt” was only defeated by Henry's vigorous military action and talented local commanders. Young Henry and Geoffrey revolted again in 1183, resulting in Young Henry's death. Henry II's invasion of Ireland provided lands for his youngest son John, but Henry struggled to find ways to satisfy all his sons' desires for land and immediate power. By 1189, Young Henry and Geoffrey were dead, and Philip successfully played on Richard's fears that Henry II would make John king, which led to a final rebellion. Henry II was decisively defeated by Philip and Richard and, suffering from a bleeding ulcer, he retreated to Chinon Castle in Anjou. Henry died soon afterwards and was succeeded by his son Richard I (the lionheart).
Many of the changes Henry II introduced during his long reign had long-term consequences, his legal changes are generally considered to have laid the basis for the English Common Law, while his intervention in Brittany, Wales, and Scotland shaped the development of their societies and governmental systems.
1 comments*AlexJan 19, 2020
URBS_ROMA_Rome_RFQ.JPG
Struck A.D.330 - 331 under Constantine I. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of RomeObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left, two dots on helmet.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf standing facing left, suckling Romulus and Remus; flower symbol on wolf's shoulder; above, two stars; in exergue, RFQ.
RIC VII : 338 (var)
SCARCE
1 comments*AlexJan 16, 2020
URBS_ROMA_Siscia.JPG
Struck A.D.334 - 335 under Constantine I. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of SisciaObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left, two dots on helmet.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf standing facing left, suckling Romulus and Remus; above, two stars; in exergue, •Î“SIS•.
RIC VII : 240
*AlexJan 11, 2020
URBS_ROMA_SMANTHETA.JPG
Struck A.D.335 - 337 under Constantine I. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of AntiochObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf, flower symbol on shoulder, standing facing left, suckling Romulus and Remus; above, two stars; in exergue, SMANΘ.
Diameter: 16mm | Weight: 1.98gms
RIC VII : 113
*AlexJan 11, 2020
URBSROMA_SMALB.JPG
Struck A.D.337 - 340 under Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of AlexandriaObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf, two dots above it's head, standing facing left, suckling Romulus and Remus; above, S - R either side of two stars; in exergue, SMALB.
Diameter: 15.7mm | Weight: 1.88gms
RIC VIII : 8
*AlexJan 11, 2020
URBS_ROMA__Arelate_CONSA.JPG
Struck A.D.331 under Constantine I. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of ArelateObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf standing facing left, suckling Romulus and Remus; above, two stars, crescent between them; in exergue, SCONST.
RIC VII : 356
EXTREMELY RARE
*AlexJan 09, 2020
URBS_ROMA_Cyzicus_SMKDelta.JPG
Struck A.D.331 under Constantine I. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of CyzicusObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf standing facing left, unclear symbol on shoulder, suckling Romulus and Remus; above, two stars; in exergue, SMKΔ.
RIC VII : 91
VERY RARE
*AlexJan 09, 2020
THEODOSIUS_I_VICTORIA_Siscia_BSIS.JPG
Struck A.D.384 - 387. THEODOSIUS I. AE4 of SisciaObverse: D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius facing right.
Reverse: VICTORIA AVGGG. Victory walking left; in exergue, BSIS.
RIC IX : 39b | LRBC : 1575-78
SCARCE
*AlexJan 08, 2020
Theodosius_I_VOT_V_MVLT_X_ASISC.JPG
Struck A.D.379 - 383. THEODOSIUS I. AE4 of SisciaObverse: D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius facing right.
Reverse: VOT V MVLT X in four lines within laurel wreath; in exergue, ASISC.
RIC IX : 29d
*AlexJan 08, 2020
Theodosius-1_BSISC_AE3.JPG
Struck A.D.379 - 383. THEODOSIUS I. AE3 of SisciaObverse: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius facing right.
Reverse: CONCOR-DIA AVGGG. Roma seated facing on throne, her left leg bare and her head turned left. She is holding a globe in her right hand and reversed spear in her left; in exergue, BSISC.
RIC IX : 27d
SCARCE
*AlexJan 08, 2020
EUDOXIA__AE4.JPG
Struck A.D.401 - 403. EUDOXIA. Wife of Arcadius. AE3 of AntiochObverse: AEL EVDOXIA AVG. Diademed and draped bust of Eudoxia facing right; above, hand holding wreath.
Reverse: SALVS REIPVBLICAE. Victory seated facing right, inscribing Christogram on shield set on cippus; in exergue, ANT followed by A or Δ, the exact officina is uncertain.
RIC X : 104
*AlexJan 05, 2020
Urbs_Roma_SMNE~0.JPG
Struck A.D.330 - 335 under Constantine I. AE3 "URBS ROMA" COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE of NicomediaObverse: VRBS ROMA. Helmeted and plumed bust of Roma facing left, one dot on helmet.
Reverse: No legend. She-wolf, standing facing left, suckling Romulus and Remus; above, two stars, three vertical dots between them; in exergue, SMNε.
RIC VII : 195.
RARE
1 comments*AlexJan 01, 2020
Constantius_Gallus_HOC_SIGNO_Siscia.JPG
Struck A.D.351. CONSTANTIUS GALLUS CAESAR. AE Centenionalis of SisciaObverse: D N CONSTANTIVS IVN NOB C. Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantius Gallus facing right; behind bust, H.
Reverse: HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS. Constantius Gallus standing facing left, holding labarum in his right hand and spear in his left, being crowned by Victory standing behind him. In left field, III; in exergue, ASIS•.
RIC VIII : 308
RARE
1 comments*AlexDec 29, 2019
Constantius_II__Two_Standards.JPG
Struck A.D.350. CONSTANTIUS II as Augustus. AE2 (Maiorina) of SisciaObverse: D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantius II facing right. Behind head, A; below chin, star.
Reverse: CONCORDIA MILITVM. Constantius II standing facing left, star above head, holding labarum in each hand. In left field, A; in exergue, •ASIS•.
RIC VIII : 284.
SCARCE
1 comments*AlexDec 29, 2019
Constantius_II_VIC-DD-NN_ASIS.JPG
Struck A.D.347 - 348. CONSTANTIUS II as Augustus. AE4 of SisciaObverse: CONSTANTIVS P F AVG. Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantius II facing right.
Reverse: VICTORIAE DD AVGG Q NN. Two Victories standing facing each other; in exergue, SIS.
RIC VIII : 182
1 comments*AlexDec 29, 2019
Constantine_II_AE4_GLORIAEXERC_Trier_TRP.JPG
Struck A.D.335 - 337. CONSTANTINE II as CAESAR. AE3/4 of TrierObverse: CONSTANTINVS IVN N C. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantine II facing right.
Reverse: GLORIA EXERCITVS. Two soldiers standing either side of standard; in exergue, • TRP •.
RIC VII : 591
RARE
*AlexDec 29, 2019
Henry_IV_AR_Hardi.JPG
1399 - 1413, Henry IV, AR Hardi d'Argent, Struck 1399 -1453 at Bordeaux, Aquitaine, FranceObverse: ERIC R ANGLIE ✤ Crowned and robed half-length figure of Henry facing under Gothic canopy, holding sword in right hand, left hand raised with finger pointing in benedictory position. Mullet over crown, rosette either side of crown. Rosette (marked in text by ✤) in legend.
Reverse: FRA-CIE ✤ DNS AQI ✤ Long cross collarino, pattée at the ends, extending through legend. Fleur de lis with roundel underneath in second and third quarters; lion passant, guardant in first and fourth quarters, roundel over lion in fourth quarter. Rosettes (marked in text by ✤) in legend.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 1.13gms | Axis 10h
SPINK: 8147 | Elias: 233h
Ex. Bazas Hoard | Ex. Jean Elsen (Belgium) | Scarce

The last series of these Anglo-Gallic coins was likely struck under more than one Henry and they have not currently been differentiated by ruler because the legends and types are generic. However, over time, Anglo-Gallic issues suffered from regular debasement and a deterioration in workmanship, the size, weight and quality of the strike of this coin would therefore all seem to point to it being an early example.

Henry IV
In 1399, Henry, Duke of Lancaster, overthrew his cousin, Richard II and took the throne as Henry IV, ruling until his death in 1413. Henry's first major problem as monarch was what to do with the deposed Richard. In January 1400, soon after an early assassination plot against Henry was foiled, Richard died in prison, allegedly of starvation. Though Henry was suspected of having had Richard murdered, it was also claimed that he took his own life.
Henry, also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was a grandson of Edward III and when he took the throne he asserted his grandfather's claim to the Kingdom of France. He founded the Lancaster branch of the House of Plantagenet and he was the first King of England since the Norman Conquest whose mother tongue was English rather than French.
Early in his reign, Henry hosted the visit of Manuel II Palaiologos, the only Byzantine emperor ever to visit England, and he gave monetary support to Manuel II to aid him against the Ottoman Empire.
Despite the example set by most of his recent predecessors, after their deaths, Henry and his second wife, Joan of Navarre, Queen of England, were buried not at Westminster Abbey but at Canterbury Cathedral, on the north side of Trinity Chapel and directly adjacent to the shrine of St Thomas Becket.

The Bazas Hoard
This hoard was discovered in May 2004 by a builder at Bazas in south West France when he was renovating a house. Bazas was a regional centre in the middle ages. The hoard consisted of a mixture of medieval coins which had been minted in Spain, Portugal, Italy, England, the Netherlands and various French duchies. Of the 1010 coins found, 157 were gold, 300 were silver and the remainder were billon. The oldest coin was a King Jean II franc from 1360 and the rarest coin was a gold castellano from the time of Henry IV of Castile, of which only one other example is known to exist.


Henry is depicted here standing in a similar pose to that shown on this coin.
3 comments*AlexDec 28, 2019
BOTLAUREL_2020.JPG
2020THIS YEAR'S WINNER
CLICK ON THE COIN FOR ITS DETAILS




*AlexDec 25, 2019
James_3.JPG
JAMES III
James III was crowned at Kelso Abbey in 1460 at the age of nine, he was the son of James II and Mary of Guelders. During his childhood, the government was led by successive factions until 1469 when he began to rule for himself. That same year he married Princess Margaret of Denmark. Margaret's father, King Christian I of Denmark and Norway was unable to raise the full amount of her dowry so pledged his lands and rights in Orkney and Shetland as security for the remainder. But Christian I was never able to redeem his pledge, and Orkney and Shetland have remained Scottish possessions ever since.
Soon after his marriage, James faced great difficulties in restoring a strong central government. His preference for the company of scholars, architects and artists coupled with his extravagance and partiality to favourites alienated him from the loyalty of his nobles. Even his own brothers, Alexander, Duke of Albany and John, Earl of Mar regarded him with jealousy verging on hatred. In 1479, James' brothers were arrested on suspicion of conspiring against the Crown. John Stewart, the Earl of Mar, died in suspicious circumstances, whilst Alexander Stewart, the Duke of Albany, escaped and fled to England.
The ever-present English threat had been temporarily solved by a truce with Edward IV in 1463 but James' estrangement from his brothers and a strong faction within the Scottish nobility led to the final loss of Berwick.
Although James had tried to settle his differences with Alexander, Duke of Albany, his brother again tried to take his throne in a coup after Edward IV recognised him as Alexander IV of Scotland in 1482. Some minor members of James III's household were hanged, including Robert Cochrane, the king's favourite. But James was removed to Edinburgh Castle where he survived and Alexander was exiled to France.
After his queen's death in 1486, James lived in increasing isolation amidst the growing resentment of the nobility. Finally, in 1488, the Scottish nobles seized James' eldest son, also called James, placed him at their head, and rose against the king. At the Battle of Sauchieburn, three miles from Stirling, James III, defeated, was thrown from his horse as he fled from the field. He was carried into a nearby cottage where he was set upon and stabbed to death.
James III was buried at Cambuskenneth Abbey near Stirling and his son, the figurehead of the revolt against him, was hailed as James IV.
*AlexNov 21, 2019
James_III_AE_Crux_Pellit_Threepenny_Penny.JPG
1460 - 1488, JAMES III, AE Threepenny Penny struck c.1470 - 1480 at an unidentified mint, ScotlandObverse: + IACOBVS ‡ DEI ‡ GRA ‡ REX ‡ . Orb with rosette at centre, tilted upwards, within pelleted circle. Cross hummetty in legend.
Reverse: + CRVX ‡ PELLIT ‡ OIE ‡ CRI (Crux pellit omne crimen = The cross drives away all sin). Latin cross within quatrefoil with trefoils on cusps, within pelleted circle. Cross hummetty in legend.
Diameter: 20mm | Weight: 1.9gms | Die Axis: 9h
SPINK: 5311 Type III
Very Rare

THREEPENNY PENNY "CROSSRAGUEL" ISSUES
These 'Crux pellit' coins are often known as "Crossraguel" issues, so called after a hoard containing 51 of them was found in a drain at Crossraguel Abbey, Ayrshire in 1919.
Once regarded as Ecclesiastical and connected to Bishop James Kennedy of St Andrews by earlier scholars, these coins are now, after extensive research in the second half of the twentieth century by J E L Murray of the British Numismatic Society, believed to have been a regal issue whose place of mintage has not as yet been certainly identified. During his reign James III took an interest in the coinage and introduced several new denominations. The thistle-head made its first appearance as a Scottish emblem on coins during his reign and a further innovation of his coinage were coins bearing a likeness of the king himself in the new renaissance style which predated similarly styled English coins by several years.
J E L Murray identified these coins with those referred to in contemporary documents as "three-penny pennies" or "Cochrane's Placks", which appear to have been greatly devalued in 1482. Cochrane's Placks comes from Robert Cochrane, one of James III's main favourites. Cochrane played a major part in the government during the 1470's and he is said to have advised the king to debase the coinage in order to raise cash.

CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW FOR INFO ON JAMES III
1 comments*AlexNov 19, 2019
James_VI_of_Scotland.JPG
LINK TO COINJAMES VI (1567 - 1625)
James VI acceded to the throne of Scotland when only 1 year old on his mother's abdication in 1567. A council of regency was established and his good education was largely due to George Buchanan. He married Anne of Denmark in 1589. The death of Elizabeth I left James as her nearest heir and he inherited the throne of England in 1603 and ruled both England and Scotland until his death in 1625. Following the gunpowder plot of 1605 James ordered severe sanctions against Roman Catholic priests and it was during his reign that the King James, or "authorised" version of the Bible, still used today, was first published.
*AlexNov 10, 2019
DELMATIUS_GLOR-EX_ROME~0.JPG
Roman Empire, DELMATIUS CAESAR. AE3/4 of Rome. Struck A.D.335 - 337Obverse: FL DELMATIVS NOB C. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Delmatius facing right.
Reverse: GLORIA EXERCITVS. Two soldiers standing either side of standard; in exergue, R S .
Diameter: 16mm | Weight: 1.6gms | Die axis: 6
EXTREMELY RARE

Unlisted in RIC for this ruler. (Cf. RIC VII : 385 but with addition of palm-branches). This mintmark is not associated with Delmatius in RIC, it is an unrecorded issue associated with the next mint mark group and should be included between RIC 389 and RIC 390. The issue with this mint-mark is listed by RIC (p.344) only for Constantine II, Constans and Urbs Roma and all of these are rated as R5, extremely rare.
*AlexNov 07, 2019
Edward_II_AR_Penny_Bury_St_Edmunds.JPG
1307 - 1327, EDWARD II, AR Penny, Struck 1307 at Bury St. Edmunds, EnglandObverse: + EDWAR R ANGL DNS hYB. Crowned and draped bust of Edward II facing within circle of pellets. Cross pattee in legend.
Reverse: VILL SCI EDMVNDI. Long cross dividing legend into quarters, trefoil in each quarter of inner circle.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 1.37gms | Die Axis: 12h
Class 11c penny with angular backs to C and E's in legends.
Rare mint
SPINK: 1465

Edward II was born on 25 April 1284, the fourth son of Edward I of England and when Edward I died in July 1307 Edward II became king because his three elder brothers were already dead. Edward II was the first English prince to hold the title prince of Wales, which was bestowed on him by his father in 1301.
Unfortunately Edward II had few of the qualities that made a successful medieval king. He surrounded himself with favourites, the best known being Piers Gaveston who he recalled from exile, Edward I having banished him to France due to his bad influence on his son. Furthermore, Edward II gave Gaveston the earldom of Cornwall, a title which had previously only been conferred on royalty.
Opposition to the king and his favourite began almost immediately, and in 1311 the nobles issued the 'Ordinances', in an attempt to limit royal control of finance and appointments. Gaveston was twice exiled at the demand of the barons, only for him to return to England shortly afterwards. However, in 1312, he was captured by the barons and executed.
In 1314, Edward invaded Scotland where he was decisively defeated by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. So bad was this for Edward's rule that by the following year parts of England had fallen into anarchy and power was in the hands of the barons headed by Edward's cousin Thomas of Lancaster, who had virtually made himself the real ruler of England.
By 1318, Edward and Lancaster had been partly reconciled, but the king now had two new favourites, Hugh le Despenser and his son. When Edward supported the two Despensers' ambitions in Wales the barons banished both father and son. This prompted Edward to fight back and he defeated Lancaster at Boroughbridge in March 1322, Lancaster was executed him and the Despensers were called back to Edward's court.
But now, Edward's wife, Isabella of France, emerged as a focus of opposition. In 1325, she was sent on a diplomatic mission to France where she met and became the mistress of Roger Mortimer, an exiled opponent of Edward. In September 1326, Isabella and Mortimer invaded England. There was virtually no resistance and the Despensers were captured and executed. Defeated, Edward was made to renounce the throne in favour of his son Edward who was crowned Edward III in January 1327.
Edward II was imprisoned at Berkeley Castle and later murdered there.
*AlexNov 06, 2019
Edward_III_AR_Penny.JPG
1327 - 1377, EDWARD III, AR Penny, Treaty Period, struck 1361 - 1369 at London, EnglandObverse: + EDWARDVS REX ANGLI. Crowned bust of Edward III facing within circle of pellets. Cross pattée in legend.
Reverse: CIVITAS LONDON. Long cross dividing legend into quarters, trefoil and annulet in each quarter of inner circle.
This coin was struck during the period of the Treaty of Brétigny under which Edward III renounced his claim to the French throne.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 1.0gms | Die Axis: 10h
SPINK: 1630

Edward III was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after the disastrous and unorthodox reign of his father, Edward II. During his long reign Edward III transformed the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe. His reign also saw vital developments in legislation and government, in particular the evolution of the English parliament, though it also saw the ravages of the Black Death.
Edward was crowned at the age of fourteen after his father was deposed by his mother, Isabella of France, and her lover Roger Mortimer. But at the age of seventeen he led a successful coup d'état against Mortimer, whom he executed, and began his personal reign.
In 1337, after a successful campaign in Scotland, Edward declared himself the rightful heir to the French throne which started what was to become known as the Hundred Years' War. Following some initial setbacks, the first part of this war went exceptionally well for England, the victories at Crécy and Poitiers led to the highly favourable Treaty of Brétigny in which, though Edward renounced his claim to the French throne, England made great territorial gains. However Edward's later years were marked by international failure and domestic strife, largely as a result of his inactivity and poor health.
Around 29 September 1376 Edward fell ill with a large abscess and, after a brief period of recovery, the king died of a stroke at Sheen on 21 June. He was succeeded by his ten-year-old grandson, King Richard II, since the Black Prince, Edward's son and Richard's father, had predeceased Edward on 8 June 1376.
2 comments*AlexOct 26, 2019
1526_-_1530_Henry_VIII_AR_Halfgroat.JPG
1509 - 1547, HENRY VIII, AR Half-groat, Struck 1526 - 1530 at York, England under Archbishop Thomas (Cardinal) WolseyObverse: HENRIC•VIII•D•G•R•AGL•Z•F•. Youthful profile crowned bust of Henry VIII facing right within circle of pellets. Mint-mark: Voided cross.
Reverse: CIVITAS EBORACI. Shield bearing coat-of-arms on cross fourchée; T - W in upper field divided by shield; galero (cardinal's hat) below.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 1.0gm | Die Axis: 8h
Virtually uncirculated but with a dark, almost black, tone
SPINK: 2346

The T W on the reverse of this coin refers to Thomas Wolsey, known to posterity as Cardinal Wolsey, one of the most powerful figures at the court of Henry VIII. Although this coin is undated, the issue of Henry VIII's second coinage only began in 1526 and so, since Cardinal Wolsey died in 1530, it must have been struck between those two dates.

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE AND FOR MORE INFO ON CARDINAL WOLSEY
*AlexOct 23, 2019
Henry_III_short_cross_penny.JPG
1216 - 1272, Henry III, AR Penny, Struck 1217 - 1242 at London, England (Short Cross Issue)Obverse: HENRICVS REX around central circle enclosing a crowned, draped and bearded facing bust of Henry III holding a sceptre tipped with a cross pommee in his right hand.
Reverse: + GIFFREI ON LVND. Voided short cross dividing legend into quarters, crosslets in each quarter of inner circle. Cross pattée in legend. Moneyer: Giffrei, cognate with the modern English name of Geoffrey.
Issue type 7c, distinguished by the degraded portrait and large lettering.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 1.1gms | Die Axis: 4h
SPINK: 1356C

HENRY III AND WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Henry III was the eldest son of King John and came to the throne at the age of nine. He was king of England from 1216 until his death in 1272, ruling longer than any other English monarch until the reign of George III.
Henry expressed a lifelong interest in architecture and much of what constitutes the Tower of London today is a result of Henry's work, he added several towers and a curtain wall to expand the White Tower beginning in 1238. Westminster Abbey however, is considered to be Henry's greatest building work. The project began in 1245, when Henry sent his architect Henry de Reynes to visit the French cities of Rheims, Chartres, Bourges and Amiens and Paris' royal chapel Sainte-Chapelle to learn the Gothic technique that he much admired.
The Westminster Abbey that stood previously on the site had been erected by Edward the Confessor in 1042. Edward the Confessor was a hero of Henry's, and he probably named his son (the future Edward I) after him. The foundations and crypt are still those of Edward the Confessor's Abbey, but everything above ground today is the building begun by Henry III. The tomb of Edward the Confessor was moved to a new position of honour in 1269 at the very centre of the new abbey, and when Henry III died in 1272 he was buried beside Edward's shrine in the exact position the bones of his hero had lain for 200 years.

*AlexOct 23, 2019
James_I_AR_Sixpence.JPG
1603 - 1625, JAMES I (JAMES VI of Scotland), AR Sixpence struck in 1605 at LondonObverse: IACOBVS•D:G:MAG:BRIT:FRA:ET•HIB:REX. Crowned and armoured bust of James I of England facing right, VI in field behind bust and mintmark (Rose) in legend above.
Reverse: •QUAE•DEVS•CONIVNXIT•NEMO•SEPARET• Square topped shield bearing the arms of England, Scotland and Ireland; 1605 above. Mintmark (rose) in legend.
Second coinage (1604 - 1619) and fourth bust with long square cut beard.
Diameter: 26mm | Weight: 2.8gms | Die Axis: 10h
SPINK: 2658

The sixpence was first introduced during the reign of Edward VI in 1551, it had a facing portrait of the king with a rose to the left and the denomination VI to the right.
With the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of England, reigning there as James I, the royal titles and the coat of arms were altered on the coinage. The Scottish lion rampant and the Irish harp now made their appearance in the second and third quarters of the royal coat of arms of the newly formed United Kingdom and, from 1604, MAG BRIT replaced ANG SCO in the King's titles.
The infamous "Gunpowder Plot" took place on November the fifth 1605, the year this coin was struck.


CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW FOR INFO ON THE GUNPOWDER PLOT
*AlexSep 29, 2019
1205_-_1216_John_AR_Penny_Dublin.JPG
1199-1216, John, AR Penny, Struck 1207 - 1211 at Dublin, IrelandObverse: IOHANNES REX around triangle enclosing a crowned and draped facing bust of King John holding, in his right hand, a sceptre tipped with a cross pommée which extends through the side of the triangle into the legend. Quatrefoil to right of bust.
Reverse: ROBERD ON DIVE around triangle containing sun over crescent moon and a star in each angle. Cross pattée at apex of each point of the triangle and above legend on each of the three sides. Moneyer: Roberd, cognate with the modern English name of Robin.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 1.2gms | Die Axis: 4h
SPINK: 6228

Third issue "REX" coinage. This was the only coinage struck by King John in his own name.

John was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of the first Magna Carta, a document sometimes considered an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom.
John, the youngest of the five sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was not expected to inherit significant lands which resulted in him being given the nickname John Lackland. However, after the failed rebellion of his elder brothers between 1173 and 1174, John became Henry's favourite child. He was appointed Lord of Ireland in 1177 and given lands in England and on the continent. John's elder brothers William, Henry and Geoffrey died young and when Richard I became king in 1189, John was the potential heir to the throne. John unsuccessfully attempted a rebellion against Richard's administration whilst his brother was participating in the Third Crusade but despite this, after Richard died in 1199, John was proclaimed King of England.
King John contracted dysentery at Lynn in 1216 but, just before his death, he managed to dictate a brief will. This will still survives and as part of it John requested: "I will that my body be buried in the church of St. Mary and St. Wulfstan of Worcester".
Some of King John's favourite hunting grounds were in Worcester, at Kinver and Feckenham, and he had a special affection for Saint Wulfstan, one of the two great Anglo-Saxon saints whose shrines and tombs were also at Worcester. Both Saint Wulfstan and Saint Oswald can be seen in miniature beside the head of the effigy of King John on his tomb.
Medieval effigies usually show the subject in the prime of life, however the effigy on King John's tomb is unique in that not only is it a life-like image of him, it is also the oldest royal effigy in England.
King John's tomb has been opened twice, once in 1529 and again in 1797. At the first opening it was said that John's head was covered with a monk's cowl, however it is now thought that this was probably his coronation cap. When the tomb was opened for the second time the antiquarians responsible discovered that a robe of crimson damask had originally covered the king's body but, by 1797, most of the embroidery had deteriorated. They also found the remains of a sword which lay down the left side of the body along with parts of its scabbard.
3 comments*AlexSep 13, 2019
KING_JOHN_TOMB_EFFIGY.JPG
LINK TO COINKING JOHN
John was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of the first Magna Carta, a document sometimes considered an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom.
John, the youngest of the five sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was not expected to inherit significant lands which resulted in him being given the nickname John Lackland. However, after the failed rebellion of his elder brothers between 1173 and 1174, John became Henry's favourite child. He was appointed Lord of Ireland in 1177 and given lands in England and on the continent. John's elder brothers William, Henry and Geoffrey died young and when Richard I became king in 1189, John was the potential heir to the throne. John unsuccessfully attempted a rebellion against Richard's administration whilst his brother was participating in the Third Crusade but despite this, after Richard died in 1199, John was proclaimed King of England.
King John contracted dysentery at Lynn in 1216 but, just before his death, he managed to dictate a brief will. This will still survives and as part of it John requested: "I will that my body be buried in the church of St. Mary and St. Wulfstan of Worcester".

TOMB OF KING JOHN
Some of King John's favourite hunting grounds were in Worcester, at Kinver and Feckenham, and he had a special affection for Saint Wulfstan, one of the two great Anglo-Saxon saints whose shrines and tombs were also at Worcester. Both Saint Wulfstan and Saint Oswald can be seen in miniature beside the head of the effigy of King John on his tomb.
Medieval effigies usually show the subject in the prime of life, however the effigy on King John's tomb is unique in that not only is it a life-like image of him, it is also the oldest royal effigy in England.
King John's tomb has been opened twice, once in 1529 and again in 1797. At the first opening it was said that John's head was covered with a monk's cowl, however it is now thought that this was probably his coronation cap. When the tomb was opened for the second time the antiquarians responsible discovered that a robe of crimson damask had originally covered the king's body but, by 1797, most of the embroidery had deteriorated. They also found the remains of a sword which lay down the left side of the body along with parts of its scabbard.
*AlexSep 13, 2019
Edward_I_AR_Penny_Berwick.JPG
1272 - 1307, EDWARD I, AR Penny, Struck 1296 - 1306 at Berwick-on-Tweed, EnglandObverse: + EDWAR ANGL DNS HYB. Crowned bust of Edward I facing within circle of pellets. Cross pattée in legend.
Reverse: VILLA BEREVVICI. Long cross dividing legend into quarters, trefoil in each quarter of inner circle.
Undated Penny, Class 10 Berwick Type II (Local dies). Issues from this mint are quite rare.
Diameter: 21.5mm | Weight: 1.0gms | Die Axis: 2h
SPINK: 1415

BERWICK
In September 1290, upon the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, there arose a number of claimants to the throne of Scotland. The Guardians of Scotland, who were the de facto heads of state until a king was chosen, asked Edward I of England to conduct the court proceedings in the dispute because the late King Alexander III had been married to Edward's sister, Margaret of England.
John Balliol, a descendant of King David I, was chosen and he was inaugurated at Scone, on St. Andrew's Day, 30 November 1292. But Edward I treated both Baliol and Scotland with contempt and demanded military support for his war against France. The Scottish response was to form an alliance with the French, invade England, and launch an attack on Carlisle.
After the failure of the Scottish attack on Carlisle, Edward I marched north and, on 28th March 1296, he crossed the river Tweed which borders the two countries, with his troops. On the following day he marched on the town of Berwick, which was Scotland's most important trading port and second only to London in economic importance in medieval Britain at that time.
Contemporary accounts of the number slain range anywhere from 4,000 to 20,000. "When the town had been taken in this way and its citizens had submitted, Edward spared no one, whatever the age or sex, and for two days streams of blood flowed from the bodies of the slain, for in his tyrannous rage he ordered 7,500 souls of both sexes to be massacred...So that mills could be turned by the flow of their blood." - Account of the Massacre of Berwick, from Bower's Scotichronicon.
Berwick's garrison was commanded by William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas, whose life and those of his garrison were spared after he surrendered and the English took the castle.
Berwick was recaptured by the Scots in 1318 but the town changed hands between the two countries several times during the following years until it was finally captured for the English by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III of England, in 1482. The Scots however, did not accept this conquest for at least two centuries after this date as is evidenced by innumerable charters.

2 comments*AlexSep 08, 2019
Maximinus_II_as_FIL-AVG_SMTS.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, MAXIMINUS II as Filius Augustorum. AE Follis (Nummus) of Thessalonika. Struck A.D.308 - 309Obverse: MAXIMINVS • FIL • AVGG. Laureate head of Maximinus II facing right.
Reverse: GENIO CAESARIS. Genius standing facing left, holding patera in right hand and cornucopiae in left; in left field, star; in right field, delta; in exergue, •SM•TS•.
RIC VI : 32a
RARE

Maximinus Daia was the nephew of Galerius, who made him Caesar in A.D.305. He then changed his name to Galerius Valerius Maximinus and ruled over the East and Egypt from his headquarters at Antioch. When Licinius was made Augustus in A.D.308, Maximinus demanded the title also, especially since it had been usurped by Constantine in the West. Instead, both he and Constantine received the novel rank of Filius Augustorum in late A.D.308 or early 309. Galerius though finally acceded to Maximinus' demands and he was promoted to Augustus in May, A.D.310.
This coin bears the new (and short lived) Filius Augustorum title which only appears on some coins struck for Maximinus in the West. The issues of his capital, Antioch, only stress his position as Caesar until his promotion to Augustus.
1 comments*AlexAug 24, 2019
1542_-1548_MARY_Queen_of_Scots_AR_Bawbee.JPG
1542 - 1567, Mary I "Queen of Scots", AR billon Bawbee (sixpence), Struck 1542 - 1558 at Edinburgh, ScotlandObverse: +MARIA•D•G•R•SCOTORVM. Crowned thistle, M to left, R to right, beaded circles and legend surrounding. Greek cross in legend.
Reverse: OPPIDVM•EDINBVRGI, retrograde N in legend. Crown over voided saltire cross, cinquefoil on either side, beaded circles and legend surrounding, fleur-de-lis within legend above.
Diameter: 22mm | Weight: 1.8gms | Die Axis: 10h
SPINK: 5433

First period issue, before Mary's marriage to the French Dauphin, Francis. The cinquefoils refer to the Earl of Arran who acted as Regent until Mary came of age.

CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW FOR INFO ON MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
3 comments*AlexAug 17, 2019
MARY,_QUEEN_OF_SCOTS_(1542-67).JPG
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
Mary I is one of the most well known, romantic and tragic figures in Scottish history. She was the only surviving child of King James V of Scotland and became queen on the death of her father when she was only six or seven days old. Mary was brought up in the Catholic faith and educated in France along with the French royal children, while Scotland was ruled in her name by regents, principally the Earl of Arran. In 1558 Mary married the French Dauphin, Francis, and following his accession in 1559 she became Queen consort of France and he King consort of Scotland. However, when Francis died in 1560 Mary was devastated and in 1561 she returned to Scotland. Four years later, in 1565, she married her half-cousin, Lord Darnley and the following year she bore him a son, who would later become James I of England. When in 1567, Darnley's house in Edinburgh was destroyed by an explosion and he was found murdered in the grounds, suspicion implicated Mary and her favourite, the Earl of Bothwell. When later that same year Mary married Bothwell those suspicions were not allayed, and following an uprising against her, she was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle and forced to abdicate in favour of her one year old son. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain her throne and defeat at the battle of Langside in 1568, Mary fled south to England, only to be imprisoned by Elizabeth I who perceived her as a threat to the throne of England. For over eighteen years Elizabeth had Mary confined in various castles and manor houses throughout England until, in 1587, after being accused of numerous intrigues and plots against Elizabeth, Mary was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle.
*AlexAug 17, 2019
GRATIAN_AE2_BSISC~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, GRATIAN. AE2 of Siscia. Struck A.D.378 - 383Obverse: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Gratian facing right.
Reverse: REPARATIO REIPVB. Gratian standing facing, holding Victory on globe in his left hand and raising kneeling turreted female figure with his right; in exergue, BSISC.
RIC IX : 26a | LRBC : 1512-18
*AlexJun 08, 2019
GRATIAN_GLOR-ROM_Galley_SMKDelta~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, GRATIAN. AE2 of Cyzicus. Struck c.A.D.379 - 383Obverse: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG. Helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust of Gratian, holding spear in his right hand, facing right.
Reverse: GLORIA ROMANORVM. Gratian standing facing, head right, on galley sailing left with Victory at the helm: in left field, wreath; in exergue, SMKA.
RIC IX : 14a
SCARCE
*AlexJun 08, 2019
GRATIAN_GLOR-ROM_SMAQS~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, GRATIAN. AE3 of Aquileia. Struck A.D.367 - 375Obverse: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Gratian facing right.
Reverse: GLORIA ROMANORVM. Gratian advancing right, holding standard in his left hand and dragging captive by the hair with his right; in exergue, •SMAQS.
RIC IX : 11c | LRBC : 1017-22.
SCARCE
*AlexJun 08, 2019
GRATIAN_VIRTUS_SMAQS~0.JPG
Roman Empire, GRATIAN. AE3 of Aquileia. Struck A.D.378 - 383Obverse: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Gratian facing right.
Reverse: VIRTVS ROMANORVM. Roma seated facing, head left, holding globe in her right hand and downward facing spear in her left; in exergue, SMAQS.
RIC IX : 35a.
RARE
*AlexJun 08, 2019
GRATIAN_NOVA_SAECVULI~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, GRATIAN. AE3 of Arles, Struck A.D.367-375Obverse: D N GRATIANVS AVGG AVG. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Gratian facing right.
Reverse: GLORIA NOVI SAECVLI. Gratian standing facing, head left, holding labarum and leaning on shield; in exergue, TCON.
Diameter: 17.9mm | Weight: 2.9gms.
RIC IX : 15
This unusual type, unique to Gratian, was only struck at one mint, Arles (Arelate). By this time Arelate had been renamed Constantina by Constantine I. The city was probably renamed in connection with Constantine II's elevation to Caesar in A.D.317, particularly since Constantine II was born there.

The AVGG AVG in the obverse legend probably alludes to Gratian's right to the succession. The question of his succession arose because, according to Ammianus Marcellinus, when Valentinian I lay ill and had not named a successor, the soldiers planned on raising a candidate of their own choosing. Valentinian, however, recovered and quickly raised Gratian to the position of Augustus to ensure his dynastic position. The reverse inscription indicates that Gratian is destined to fulfill the Messianic prophecy of the Sibylline books, to bring in a golden era of justice and plenty.
*AlexJun 08, 2019
Honorius_GLOR-ROM_2_soldiers_SMKA~0.JPG
Roman Empire, HONORIUS AE3 of Cyzicus. Struck A.D.408 - 423Obverse: D N HONORIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Honorius facing right; behind head, star.
Reverse: GLORIA ROMANORVM. Two emperors standing facing, each holding a spear and shield; in exergue, SMKA.
RIC X : 403
*AlexJun 08, 2019
Honorius_facing_Cyzicus.JPG
Roman Empire, HONORIUS. AE3 of Cyzicus. Struck A.D.393 - 423Obverse: D N HONORIVS P F AVG. Helmeted and cuirassed facing bust of Honorius holding spear and shield.
Reverse: CONCORDIA AVGG. Constantinopolis seated facing, head right, holding Victory and sceptre; in exergue, SMKΓ.
RIC X : 95
SCARCE
*AlexJun 08, 2019
Jovian_Hd-R_VOTVMVLTX_ASISC~0.JPG
Roman Empire, JOVIAN. AE3 of Siscia. Struck A.D.363 - 364Obverse: D N IOVIANVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Jovian facing right.
Reverse: VOT V MVLT X in four lines within laurel-wreath; in exergue, ASISC.
RIC VIII : 424.
RARE
*AlexJun 08, 2019
Jovian_Hd-L_VOTV_CONSPI~0.JPG
Roman Empire, JOVIAN. AE3 of Constantinopolis. Struck A.D.363 - 364Obverse: D N IOVIANVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Jovian facing left.
Reverse: VOT V within laurel-wreath; in exergue, CONSPΓ.
RIC VIII : 178.
SCARCE
*AlexJun 08, 2019
THEODOSIUS-1_REP-REIP_BSISC~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, THEODOSIUS I. AE2 of Siscia. Struck c.A.D.379 - 383Obverse: D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius facing right.
Reverse: REPARATIO REIPVB. Theodosius standing facing, head left, raising kneeling turreted female figure with his right hand holding Victory on globe in his left. In exergue, *BSISC•.
RIC IX : 26d
1 comments*AlexJun 06, 2019
Theodosius-1_BSISC_AE3~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, THEODOSIUS I. AE3 of Siscia. Struck c.A.D.379 - 383Obverse: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius facing right.
Reverse: CONCOR-DIA AVGGG. Roma seated facing on throne, her left leg bare and her head turned left. She is holding a globe in her right hand and reversed spear in her left; in exergue, BSISC.
RIC IX : 27d
SCARCE
*AlexJun 06, 2019
Theodosius_I_VOT_V_MVLT_X_ASISC~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, THEODOSIUS I. AE4 of Siscia. Struck c.A.D.379 - 383Obverse: D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius facing right.
Reverse: VOT V MVLT X in four lines within laurel wreath; in exergue, ASISC.
RIC IX : 292
1 comments*AlexJun 06, 2019
DIVONUMERIAN_KAA~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, NUMERIAN. Commemorative AE Antoninianus of Rome. Struck A.D.284 - 285 under CarinusObverse: DIVO NVMERIANO. Radiate head of Numerian facing right.
Reverse: CONSECRATIO. Eagle standing facing, head left; in exergue, KAA.
RIC V ii : 424
RARE

Though mis-rated as common by Cohen and RIC, antoninianii of Divus Numerian are in fact quite rare: there were only 15 of his antoninianii of all types in the Venera hoard, as compared to 25 antoninianii of the 'very rare' Divus Nigrinian. - source HJB
*AlexMay 11, 2019
Julian-2_Bull_HERACLB~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, JULIAN II, AE1 Heraclea. Follis struck A.D.361 - 363Obverse: D N FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julian II facing right.
Reverse: SECVRITAS REIPVB. Bull standing facing right; above, two stars; in exergue, •HERACL•B.
RIC VIII : 103 | LRBC : 1910 | VM : 25.
SCARCE
*AlexMay 11, 2019
Hadrian_Divus_AR_Denarius.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, HADRIAN. Commemorative AR Denarius of Rome. Struck A.D.139 under Antoninus PiusObverse: DIVVS HADRIANVS AVG. Bare head of Hadrian facing right.
Reverse: CONSECRATIO. Eagle standing facing on globe, head turned left.
RIC II : 389b
VERY RARE
2 comments*AlexMar 03, 2019
GALERIUS_DIVO_FORTUNA_SISCIA.JPG
Roman Empire, GALERIUS. Commemorative AE Follis of Siscia. Struck A.D.312 under LiciniusObverse: DIVO GAL VAL MAXIMIANO. Veiled head of Galerius facing right.
Reverse: FORTI FORTVNAE. Fortuna standing facing left holding rudder on globe and cornucopiae, wheel with cubit rule leaning against it (the attributes of Nemesis), behind at her feet; in right field, star on crescent over B; in exergue, SIS.
Diameter: 23mm | Weight: 4.75gms | Die Axis: 12
RIC VI : 226
RARE
1 comments*AlexMar 03, 2019
Galerius_Divo_Shrine_Thessalonika.JPG
Roman Empire, GALERIUS. Commemorative AE Follis of Thessalonica. Struck A.D.311 under LiciniusObverse: DIVO MAXIMIANO. Veiled head of Galerius facing right.
Reverse: MEM DIVI MAXIMIANI. Eagle surmounting domed shrine with closed doors; in right field, A; in exergue, •SM•TS•.
RIC VI : 48
EXTREMELY RARE
*AlexMar 03, 2019
FAUSTINA_JNR_DIVA_Denarius_PEACOCK.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, FAUSTINA II (JUNIOR). Commemorative denarius of Rome. Struck A.D.176-180 under Marcus AureliusObverse: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA. Draped bust of Faustina Junior facing right.
Reverse: CONSECRATIO. Peacock standing facing right.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 3.2grms | Die Axis: 12
RIC III : 744

Annia Galeria Faustina was the youngest daughter of Antoninus Pius and Faustina Senior. She married Marcus Aurelius in A.D.145 and was given the title of Augusta on the birth of her first child in A.D.146. She went on to have several more children, one of whom was the future emperor Commodus. In A.D.175 Faustina accompanied Marcus Aurelius on his journey to the East but she died at Halala, a village at the foot of the Taurus Mountains.
1 comments*AlexMar 03, 2019
MAXIMINUS_2_FOLLIS_HERCULES.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, MAXIMINUS II as AUGUSTUS. AE Follis of Nicomedia. Struck c.A.D.312Obverse: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG. Laureate head of Maximinus facing right.
Reverse: HERCVLI VICTORI. Hercules standing facing right, his right hand on his hip, his left hand holding lionskin and resting on club; in left field, A with star above; in exergue, SMN.
Weight 5.7gms
RIC VI : 75
*AlexMar 02, 2019
Mariniana_Diva_Antoninianus~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, MARINIANA. Commemorative AR Antoninianus of Rome. Struck A.D.253 - 254 under Valerian IObverse: DIVAE MARINIANAE. Diademed and veiled bust of Mariniana, resting on crescent, facing right.
Reverse: CONSECRATIO. Mariniana being borne to heaven seated on the back of a peacock flying right.
Diameter: 21mm | Weight: 2.18gms | Die Axis: 6
RIC V i : 6
RARE

Mariniana was the wife of Valerian I but it would seem that she must have died before he became emperor because all of her coins are posthumous commemoratives.
*AlexMar 02, 2019
Mariniana_Diva_Antoninianus.JPG
Struck A.D.253 - 254 under Valerian I. DIVA MARINIANA. Commemorative AR Antoninianus of RomeObverse: DIVAE MARINIANAE. Diademed and veiled bust of Mariniana, resting on crescent, facing right.
Reverse: CONSECRATIO. Mariniana being borne to heaven seated on the back of a peacock flying right.
Diameter: 21mm | Weight: 2.18gms | Die Axis: 6
RIC V i : 6
RARE

Mariniana was the wife of Valerian I but it would seem that she must have died before he became emperor because all of her coins are posthumous commemoratives.
1 comments*AlexMar 02, 2019
Marcus_Aurelius_Divus_Denarius_Eagle.JPG
Roman Empire, MARCUS AURELIUS. Commemorative AR denarius of Rome. Struck A.D.180 under CommodusObverse: DIVVS M ANTONINVS PIVS. Bare head of Marcus Aurelius facing right.
Reverse: CONSECRATIO. Eagle facing left, head turned right, standing on bar.
RIC III : 266
Ex Harlan J Berk. Ex D. Clark Collection. This coin is featured on Wildwinds.
SCARCE
1 comments*AlexMar 02, 2019
LICINIVS_1__IOVI_EAGLE_PARL.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, LICINIUS I, AE3 of Arelate. Struck A.D.31Obverse: IMP LICINIVS AVG. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Licinius facing right.
Reverse: IOVI CONSERVATORI AVG. Jupiter seated facing left on eagle with wings open standing facing right; Jupiter, looking back. holds sceptre in his left hand and a thunderbolt in his right; in exergue, PARL.
Weight 2.9gms.
RIC VII : 196
VERY RARE
*AlexMar 02, 2019
Licinius_2__ROMA__RT.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, LICINIUS II as CAESAR. AE3 of Rome. Struck A.D.320Obverse: LICINIVS IVN NOB C. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Licinius II facing right.
Reverse: ROMAE AETERNAE. Roma seated facing right, inscribing XV on shield set on her knees: in left field, P; in right field, R; in exergue, RT.
RIC VII : 154
VERY RARE
1 comments*AlexMar 02, 2019
Oliver_Cromwell_by_Samuel_Cooper.jpg
*AlexFeb 25, 2019
Great_Seal_of_the_Commonwealth.JPG
THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND COINAGEThe Commonwealth coinage was once referred to as "breeches money", because the reverse design of two conjoined shields was reminiscent of the shape of a pair of the breeches (trousers) which were worn at the time. This coinage was minted in England after a period of civil war which culminated in the execution of King Charles I in London in 1649.
Commonwealth coins bear no portrait of a monarch because after Charles I was beheaded there wasn't one, instead the coins have a simple puritan design. The language of the legends on the coins also changed, traditionally it was in Latin, giving the name of the monarch and their titles, but now this was replaced with "THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND" on the obverse and "GOD WITH US" on the reverse. These simple statements not only did away with all references to royal power, they also replaced the Catholic-sounding Latin with Protestant English laying claim to God's favour and support in true Puritan style.
There appear to be no surviving records of the exact amount of Commonwealth coinage which was produced. Although Samuel Pepys in his Diaries suggested that during the Commonwealth period from 1649 to 1660 some 750,000 pounds worth of coins were minted in total and that after the restoration in 1660 much of this, some 650,000 pounds, was recovered and melted down. This leaves an outstanding 100,000 pounds, much of which it is believed was exported as bullion.
It seems, too, that during the Commonwealth Period 46.8% of the silver coinage from the mint was produced between December 1651 and November 1653, which would tally with the treasure trove which was captured from foreign ships and brought to London during that period. A second coining period occurred in 1656 when more foreign ships were captured by the navy, brought to London and their precious metal offloaded to the Tower.
*AlexFeb 22, 2019
Charles_I.JPG
LINK TO COINCHARLES I (1625 - 1649)
After his succession, Charles quarrelled with the Parliament of England, which sought to curb his royal prerogative. Charles believed in the divine right of kings and thought he could govern according to his own conscience. Many of his subjects opposed his policies, in particular the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent, and perceived his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch. His religious policies, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, generated the antipathy and mistrust of Reformed groups such as the English Puritans and the Scottish Covenanters, who thought his views were too Catholic. He supported high church Anglican ecclesiastics and his attempts to force the Church of Scotland to adopt high Anglican practices led to the Bishops' Wars, and helped precipitate his own downfall.
From 1642, Charles fought the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War. After his defeat in 1645, he surrendered to a Scottish force that eventually handed him over to the English Parliament. Charles refused to accept his captors' demands for a constitutional monarchy, and after temporarily escaping captivity in November 1647, he was re-imprisoned on the Isle of Wight. Although Charles had managed to forge an alliance with Scotland, by the end of 1648 Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army had consolidated its control over England and Charles was tried, convicted, and executed for high treason in January 1649. The monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared. The Parliament of Scotland however, proclaimed Charles I's son as King Charles II on the 5th of February 1649.
The political crisis in England that followed the death of Cromwell in 1658 resulted in the restoration of the monarchy whereby Charles II was invited to return and, on the 29th of May 1660, he was received in London to public acclaim. After 1660 all Charles II's legal documents in Britain were dated from 1649, the year when he had succeeded his father as king in Scotland.
*AlexFeb 18, 2019
Elizabeth_I.jpg
*AlexFeb 18, 2019
JAMES_VI_AND_I.JPG
LINK TO COINJAMES I OF ENGLAND (1603 - 1625) AND THE GUNPOWDER PLOT
The infamous "Gunpowder Plot" took place on November the fifth 1605. The plot, to blow up the English Houses of Parliament, was foiled when a Justice of the Peace, Sir Thomas Knyvet, was secretly informed of a Catholic plot and, after giving orders for a search of the area, discovered Guy Fawkes in a cellar below the Parliament building. Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were found and Guy Fawkes was arrested for treason and charged with trying to kill King James along with the members of Parliament who were scheduled to sit together next day.
Guy Fawkes, also known as Guido Fawkes, was tortured and questioned over the next few days and eventually confessed. He was sentenced to being hung, drawn and quartered. However, immediately before his execution on the 31st of January 1606 he fell from the scaffold where he was about to be hanged and broke his neck, so avoiding the agony of the mutilation that followed.
Guy Fawkes has become synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot which has been commemorated in Britain on the 5th of November ever since. His effigy is traditionally burned on a bonfire, usually accompanied by a fireworks display.
When I was young, on the run-up to "bonfire night", children used to make their own "Guy" and then tout it through the streets with cries of "Penny for the Guy" something like today's Hallowe'en "trick or treat". But this has pretty much died out now having been replaced by officially staged events.
*AlexFeb 18, 2019
ELIZABETH_I_1794.JPG
1794 AE Halfpenny Token. Chichester, SussexObverse: QUEEN ELIZABETH •. Three-quarter facing crowned bust of Queen Elizabeth I right, sceptre resting on her right shoulder.
Reverse: CHICHESTER HALFPENNY •. View of Chichester Cross; in exergue, 1794.
Edge: PAYABLE AT DALLY'S CHICHESTER + + + +.
Diameter 29mm | Die Axis 6
Dalton & Hamer: 15

This token was manufactured by Peter Kempson in Birmingham and the dies were engraved by Thomas Wyon. Little is known about the issuer of the token, seemingly to have been Dally and Son who were drapers in Chichester in the 18th century.

Chichester Cross is an elaborate perpendicular market cross standing at the intersection of the four principal streets in the centre of the city of Chichester, West Sussex. According to the inscription upon it, this cross was built by Edward Story, Bishop of Chichester from 1477 to 1503, but little is known for certain and the style and ornaments of the building suggest that it may date from the reign of Edward IV. It was apparently built so that the poor people should have somewhere to sell their wares, and as a meeting point. An earlier wooden cross had been erected on the same site by Bishop Rede (1369-1385). The stone cross, which underwent repairs during the reign of Charles II and again in 1746, still stands to this day.
3 comments*AlexFeb 07, 2019
Vespasian_capricorns_SC.JPG
Struck A.D. 80 - 81 under Titus. DIVUS VESPASIAN. Commemorative AR Denarius of RomeObverse: DIVVS • AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS •. Laureate head of Vespasian facing right.
Reverse: No legend. SC on shield supported by two capricorns back to back, globe below.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 3.1gms | Die Axis: 6
RIC II : 63 | VM : 102 | RSC : 497 | Sear : 2569
SCARCE

Vespasian (Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus) was born at Falacrinae on 17th November, A.D.9 and became emperor on 1st July, A.D.69. He died at Aquae Cutiliae on 23rd June, A.D.79 and was buried in the Mausoleum of Augustus. His remains were later transferred to the Temple of the Flavian Family.

EVENTS OCCURRING AT THE TIME THIS COIN WAS STRUCK

A.D.80
Titus completed and inaugurated the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre) with 100 days of games.
Gnaeus Julius Agricola began his invasion of Scotland.
A.D.81
The Arch of Titus was constructed in Rome.
1 comments*AlexFeb 06, 2019
Valerian_2_Consecratio_eagle~0.JPG
ROMAN EMPIRE, VALERIAN II CAESAR. Commemorative AR Antoninianus of Lugdunum. Struck A.D.255 - 256 under GallienusObverse: DIVO VALERIANO CAES. Radiate and draped bust of Valerian II facing right.
Reverse: CONSACRATIO. Valerian II being borne to heaven seated on the back of an eagle flying right.
Diameter: 20mm | Weight: 2.4gms | Die Axis: 2
RIC V i : 9
*AlexFeb 02, 2019
Valerian_2_Consecratio_eagle.JPG
Struck A.D.255 - 256 under Gallienus. DIVUS VALERIAN II CAESAR. Commemorative AR Antoninianus of LugdunumObverse: DIVO VALERIANO CAES. Radiate and draped bust of Valerian II facing right.
Reverse: CONSACRATIO. Valerian II being borne to heaven seated on the back of an eagle flying right.
Diameter: 20mm | Weight: 2.4gms | Die Axis: 2
RIC V i : 9
3 comments*AlexFeb 02, 2019
Julian_2_VotXMvltXX.JPG
Struck A.D.361 - 363. JULIAN II as Augustus. AE3 of SisciaObverse: D N FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG. Helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed bust of bearded Julian facing left, holding spear and shield.
Reverse: VOT X MVLT XX in four lines within laurel-wreath; in exergue, ASIS .
RIC VIII : 422
2 comments*AlexFeb 01, 2019
Julian_2_Fel_Temp.JPG
Struck A.D.355 - 360. JULIAN II as CAESAR. AE3 of SirmiumObverse: D N IVLIANVS NOB C. Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julian facing right.
Reverse: FEL TEMP REPARATIO. Soldier standing facing left, spearing fallen horseman; in left field, M; in exergue, BSIRM.
Weight: 2.25gms
RIC VIII : 72, 74 or 78 dependant on whether there was a • or ✱ after the mint-mark (off flan).
(72) BSIRM - Scarce | (74) BSIRM• & (78) BSIRM✱
*AlexFeb 01, 2019
Tacitus_Prov_Deor.JPG
Struck A.D.275 - 276. TACITUS. Silvered AE ANTONINIANUS of SerdicaObverse: IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Tacitus facing right.
Reverse: PROVIDEN DEOR. Fides and Sol standing facing one another, Fides holding two standards and Sol, his right hand raised, holding a globe in his left; in field between figures, star; in exergue, KA•B•.
Diameter: 23mm | Weight: 4.7gms | Die Axis: 1
RIC V i : 195
1 comments*AlexFeb 01, 2019
Tacitus_Temp_Fel_IIII.JPG
Struck A.D.275 - 276. TACITUS. AE ANTONINIANUS of uncertain Gallic mint, probably LugdunumObverse: IMP C M CL TACITVS P F AVG. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Tacitus facing right.
Reverse: TEMPORVM FELICITAS. Felicitas standing facing left, holding caduceus in her right hand and cornucopiae in left; in right field, star; in exergue, IIII.
Diameter: 22mm | Weight: 3.7gms | Die Axis: 5
RIC V i : 63
*AlexFeb 01, 2019
Constans_Caes_Glor_Ex.JPG
Struck A.D.333 - 336. CONSTANS as Caesar. AE3 of HeracleaObverse: CONSTANS IVN NOB C. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Constans facing right.
Reverse: GLORIA EXERCITVS. Two soldiers standing either side of two standards; in exergue, SMHB✱.
Weight: 2.7gms
RIC VII : 139
EXTREMELY RARE
1 comments*AlexFeb 01, 2019
Edward_VI_of_England.jpg
*AlexJan 18, 2019
Maria_Tudor1.jpg
*AlexJan 18, 2019
867 files on 10 page(s) 3

All coins are guaranteed for eternity
Forum Ancient Coins
PO BOX 1316
MOREHEAD CITY NC 28557


252-497-2724
customerservice@forumancientcoins.com
Facebook   Instagram   Pintrest   Twitter