This week’s fresh listings:
This page is to be updated every
Tuesday and will contain all the latest Coin,
Medal & Token listings for that particular week.
Most sold coins are now
accessible via a new link on the front (index) page category grid.
Additions to www.HistoryInCoins.com
for weeks commencing Tuesday 15th September 2026
Extra
information added to the website this week regarding the James 1st sixpence
series
(extant
numbers, the 1618 sixpence and a slight tweaking of the rarity table)
WMH-9415: Henry IV House of
Lancaster Well Provenanced Hammered Silver Penny. Light coinage, 1412-13
only. Obv: +hE[NRIC]
REX AnGLIE, annulet on breast, rev: ∘CIVI TAS : EBO RACI - York mint.
Initial mark Cross Pattée, quatrefoil in the centre of the reverse long
cross, Primary series, Stewartby class P. S.R.1734. Episcopal issue under Archbishop Bowet of York, being differentiated from the London pence by the lack of devices by
the crown. Archbishop Bowet is recorded as having returned old dies (presumed
Archbishop Scrope's) to the exchequer on 5th
October 1412
with two new obverse and four reverse dies delivered within a fortnight. Those dies display a liberal use of annulets,
as described above. The York mint-master, John Esyngwald, was later accused of having had dies made in the
city. This was not disputed but the
Archbishop, perhaps aware of the precedent under Richard II, allowed Esyngwald to stay in office and more than likely carry on
his activities. During the latter years
of the Heavy Coinage, possibly from as early as 1408 up until Easter 1412,
there was much inactivity at the mint due to virtually no silver coin being
produced - silver coin headed for the Continent in huge numbers as silver was
worth more there than in England, thus it was economically unviable
to issue fresh coinage. Heavy coinage
silver, and any other silver coin in circulation, was clipped by profiteers,
even though the penalties were severe.
As a result of this inactivity, there was a severe shortage of available
skilled staff at every level in 1412, specifically Easter 1412, when the first
world value of silver bullion increased, thereby allowing a prudent economic
decision to mint coin again, albeit at a reduced weight - hence Light
Coinage. Clearly this staff shortage was
not remedied overnight and that, taken with the fact that Henry IV died less
than a year later in March of 1413, goes some way to identifying just why this
monarch, numismatically at least, is so very rare in any grade, let alone this
excellent grade. Outstanding provenance
(old tickets here), being from the collection of L.A. Lawrence Esq.,
F.R.C.S. The collection was dispersed
late 1951, upon Lawrence's demise, by Glendining
& Co, New Bond St., London.
See link in provenance below for the actual coin entry in that
sale. A very important
coin. 
£1,275
Provenance:
ex
L.A. Lawrence Esq., F.R.C.S. (acquired 4th March 1947), dispersed 1951...
ex
Glendining & Co, New Bond St., London,
"Lawrence, English Coins part III", lot 588
ex
unidentified collector ticket, coin purchased Glendining's
July 11th 1951 for £6.0.0
ex
unidentified dealer ticket (£995)
ex
Nigel Mills (his coin envelope annotation included)
WMH-9416: Edward IV House of York
TRANSITIONAL Hammered Silver Penny. First reign. Termed the King's Receiver, 1462-4. Listed under Light coinage, but very much an
irregular, transitional local issue (Durham), supposedly bridging the heavy
(1461-4) and light (1464-70) coinages but in my opinion, a heavy coinage
coin. S.R.2053. Initial mark Plain Cross (7a -
1461-4). Not a particularly rare coin
(although the extra reverse pellet elevates the coin somewhat) but a very
interesting coin in terms of its attribution.
Of even greater interest is the grade - how many Edward IV pennies do
you see with not just a spectacular portrait (remember, these were crude,
locally made dies) but with the actual initial mark?! Sold with a detailed Noonans Mayfair 2024 ticket (extra to the one shown in the
image) with a given grade of VF+.
A good coin. £225
WMH-9417: Edward IV House of York
Hammered Silver Halfpenny. First
reign, light coinage, 1464-70, London mint, trefoils by the neck. S.R.2068. Extremely good grade for issue. £155
WMH-9418: Henry VI Hammered Silver
Halfpenny. First
reign, Annulet issue of 1422-30 with reverse annulets only. London mint.
S.R.1848. An
outstanding example. £175
WMH-9419: Edward IV House of York Hammered
Silver Halfpenny. Second reign,
1471-82, London mint, no marks by the neck. S.R.2137.
Very good grade for issue. £195
WSC-9420: David II Medieval Scottish
Hammered Silver Groat. Second reign,
1357-67, Edinburgh mint, initial mark Cross. Older head with a very pronounced aquiline
nose - class C, S.R.5098. Son of Robert
(the) Bruce, David inherited the throne aged just 5 and was crowned aged
7. David had an interesting life, being
married at the age of 4 (so even before he became king) to a girl (Edward III's sister) who was a much more respectable 6 years of
age. During the Baliol
years, David and his wife took refuge in France (where else?!), not returning
until 1341. Five years after his return
in 1346, David invaded England where he was captured near Durham at the Battle
of Neville's Cross and promptly wasted another eleven years of his life as a
prisoner of Edward III (David's brother-in-law). An excellent example of
this often less-than-well-struck issue. £425
Provenance:
ex Tim
Owen
