A selection of choice Ancient & Hammered coins for sale through HistoryInCoins.com:

 

 

WMH-4808:  William “Rufus” II Hammered Silver Norman Penny.  Voided cross, B.M.C. 3, 1092 – 1095.  Excessively rare Watchet mint (moneyer SIGOLF), being the only example of a William II Watchet mint penny in private hands.  The coin is well struck, toned and free from any cracks, defects etc other than the extra fold of silver.  Ex Spink (image here).  An important Norman coin.  £4,950

 

WMH-4814:  Henry 1st Hammered Silver ROUND Halfpenny.  Facing head, cross potent with pellets in angles.  No B.M.C. number but this coin is officially snicked, indicating that the issue falls somewhere between types 6 and 14.  Around 1107, during the type VI coinage, the government ordered all coins to be mutilated at issue to prove to the public that the entire coin was silver.  It is interesting to note that in 1124 all of the English moneyers were summoned to Winchester, where most of them were castrated and had the right hand amputated, on the orders of Henry I. The king seems to have suspected the moneyers of malpractice, and he acted with typical ruthlessness.  There is a unique halfpenny recorded with its reverse using a class 9 penny die.  Class 9 was struck in 1109.  This coin is 1 of only 13 known examples with the Fitzwilliam holding 8 and the British Museum holding at least one (Hereford mint).  Several of the other 12 examples are damaged with large chips missing, presumably along the mutilation cut (see Fitzwilliam early medieval corpus, 410 – 1180).  This example is probably one of the best struck of all extant examples.  Extra (large) images here and here.  The moneyer is Thorsteinn and the mint is either Norwich or Northampton although as the find spot is Norfolk and there is already a Norwich halfpenny (damaged) recorded (Fitzwilliam corpus), a Norwich mint town looks a strong favourite.  The coin is sold with a printout of the Fitzwilliam entry in the corpus.  Likely to be the only Henry 1st round halfpenny in private hands and further likely to be the best example out of all known examples.  P.O.A.

 

WJC-4474:  1646 Charles 1st Newark Siege Halfcrown.  Largest denomination and the hardest to find.  Cut from thick silver plate (halfcrowns are characteristically thicker coins) and used as emergency coinage while Charles 1st was besieged in Newark Castle.  Incidentally, Newark Castle is just up the road from me and is very much still there.  If you ask at the office, they will arrange a guided tour of the castle above and below ground.  £1,550

 

WJC-4616:  Stunning Charles 1st Silver Oval Badge.  Large size, quality Royalist badge with floral border.  Doesn’t appear to be listed in M.I. although there is one very similar - same legends and design but Charles facing left.  This one high grade with just slight wear to high points and the odd contact mark.  Extra image here.  Struck on a very generous planchet, being solid and chunky compared to other badges.  Easily the best I’ve ever had or seen.  Choice.  £1,650

 

WJC-4567:  1643 Charles 1st “Declaration” Half Crown.  Oxford mint.  Briot’s horseman type with the usual CAROLLVS error.  A notoriously poor issue in terms of clipping and grade – this one slightly better than the Brooker die pair.  Original old sale’s ticket.  Ex Alan Morris.  £645

 

WJC-4259:  1645 Charles I “Declaration” Half Crown.  Bristol mint, very minor clipping with strong detail obverse & reverse.  Same obverse die as Brooker 989.  The coin has been in a water environment and as a result is water damaged – slightly pitted surfaces, no patina.  Still a rare coin.  £759

 

WJC-4707:  1644 Charles 1st “Declaration” Threepence.  Oxford mint.  Clear detail.  A denomination which rarely turns up and when it does, there are nearly always problems.  Not creased and with very strong detail.  This coin is interesting as someone, presumably a Cromwellian supporter, has deliberately scratched the king’s bust.  Once again, history in your hand!  £375

 

WJC-4648:  Charles I “Milled” Issue Pattern Silver Halfcrown.  Dated 1628.  A milled silver issue by Briot in gVF grade.  Plain edge, “N. BRIOT. F” below the ground line and a standard 180 degree die axis.  Ex Spink (May 1995) and sold with their ticket.  Presumed ex Colin Adams (Dec 2005, lot 149) as that coin was stated to have been purchased from Spink in May 1995.  No example in Brooker.  It is interesting to note that the horse and rider on this coin are facing right whereas every other Briot halfcrown has the horse and rider left.  Extra (annotated) image here.  The reverse is a standard crowned oval arms with garnish although the arms are slightly squashed to accommodate the date.  A die duplicate, in not quite EF grade, sold early in 2008 for just over £3,000 to a dealer.  This is a very rare Charles 1st milled silver (dated) halfcrown.  £2,395

 

WMH-4357:  Henry 1st Hammered Silver Norman Penny.  B.M.C. XII – cross and annulets (type 12).  Circa 1119 only.  Very good strike – good VF although coin off-struck, hence undetermined mint and moneyer.  Ex B. Treglen collection.  £629

 

WMH-4029:  Stephen Norman Kings’ LEICESTER Hammered Penny.  1135 – 1154.  Cross Moline (Watford) type.  Rare Leicester mint (SAMER).  £649

 

WMH-4653:  Stephen Hammered Silver Norman Penny.  An extremely rare North-Eastern and Scottish Borders variant (Spink 1306).  Crude detail but incredibly good grade / strike for issue.  Some clipping and a flan crack.  A very rare coin.  £525

 

WMH-4182:  Henry IV Hammered Silver Penny.  York mint, light coinage (1412 – 1413).  Annulet on breast fully visible, annulet after HENRIC visible, reverse annulet stops fully visible.  The ENTIRE king’s name is visible on this coin, something I’ve never seen before.  During the reign of Henry IV, gold and silver coins were seriously undervalued in relation to European bullion prices.  As a result, a penny coin was worth up to double as scrap silver so coinage haemorrhaged out of England to be melted down abroad at considerable profit.  Records show clearly that by 1408, England’s stock of gold and silver bullion was virtually nil.    The York issue was struck at the archiepiscopal mint under Archbishop Bowet.  Many dealers will only ever have one or two Henry IV coins go through their hands and those coins will never come close to this one in terms of strike, legend, clipping and grade.  Choice.  £1,295

 

WI-4387:  Irish Charles 1st “Ormonde” Full Silver Crown.  Issue of 1643 / 1644.  An emergency coinage issue struck during the Great Rebellion under the Earl of Ormonde (Lieutenant of Ireland) in the name of King Charles 1st.  Made from flattened silver plates which were roughly cut and then stamped with the crude dies.  This issue very much mirrors the English Charles 1st Newark / Scarborough / Carlisle / Pontefract “siege” coinage of the mid 1640’s.  This coin is ex Spink (tickets enclosed) and approaching VF for issue.  Rare.  £975

 

WI-4371:  Irish Viking Hammered Silver Penny.  Hiberno-Norse issue of 1035-1060.  Long cross and hand issue.  Based on the coinage of Aethelred II with bust actually being that of Aethelred.  Reverse has usual long cross but with a stylised hand in two quarters and a pellet in the other.  Legends obverse and reverse are blundered which is to be expected.  This coin from an old collection (original sale’s ticket sold with the coin).  Good EF grade.  The 2005 revised Coincraft price guide places this coin at £550 in VF.  No price given for EF or GEF.  Choice.  £895