Medieval English Hammered Farthings: Glossary of Numismatic Terms

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D

die variety

a coin showing a slight variation of design

E

F

farthing

a: a former British monetary unit equal to 1/4 of a penny b: a coin representing this unit.
Etymology: Middle English ferthing, from Old English fEorthung (akin to Middle High German vierdunc fourth part), from Old English fEortha fourth

flan

the whole piece of metal after a coin has been struck

G

grain

a unit of weight (in common use in medieval England) based on the weight of a grain of wheat taken as an average of the weight of grains from the middle of the ear. Medieval moneyers always determined the weight of farthings in terms of 'grains of silver and alloy.'

H

hammered

a method of minting whereby a coin is made by hand striking the coin between dies

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J

K

L

M

moneyer

Etymology: Middle English, from Old French monier, from Late Latin monetarius master of a mint, coiner, from monetarius of a mint

mule

a coin with the current type on one side and the previous obsolete type on the other side, or a coin that has been struck from two dies that are not normally used together

N

numismatics

the study or collection of coins, tokens, and paper money

O

obverse

a: the side of a coin normally showing the monarch's head and/or name b: the side of a coin colloquially referred to as 'heads'

P

Q

R

reverse

a: the back of a coin; broadly : the rear surface of a coin, with hammered farthings, this typically has a central cross and the name of the mint b: the side of a coin colloquially referred to as 'tails'

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