The Fitzwilliam Museum

An image of Coinage. Penny, class 15d. Edward III (1227-77), ruler. Reading Mint. Silver, struck, 1.16g, 1338-1343. Found in the vicinity of Harlow, Essex, c.1999.
Notes: This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades. It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbeys minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338. This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences.

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Coinage. Penny, class 15d. Edward III (1227-77), ruler. Reading Mint. Silver, struck, 1.16g, 1338-1343. Found in the vicinity of Harlow, Essex, c.1999. Notes: This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades. It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbeys minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338. This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences.

Image data

Accession Number: CM.149-2000
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal length: 100
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Photographer name: Eimear Reilly
Image height: 1085 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Processed with: Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer 6.1.7600.16385
Filesize: 200.65kB
Exposure time: 1/125
ISO Speed: 400
Fnumber: 56/10
Captured: 2015:09:09 10:55:50

Key words

early medieval _WF_AdOK Edward III Reading Mint rulers struck currency _WF_Obverse crown Plantagenet coinage _WF_OPAC_pending 14th Century numismatics medieval King Edward III crowned money legal tender silver Fitz_CM penny male coin obverse

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Coin"
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-4272837458 Accessed: 2024-11-15 11:54:31

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            {{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-4272837458
            |title=Coin
            |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-15 11:54:31|publisher=The
            University of Cambridge}}

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    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/640/123/large_CM_149_2000_obv_201509_eer26_mas.jpg"
        alt="This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades.  It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings.  Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it.  In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbeys minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338.  This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies.  Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal."
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Coin</figcaption>
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