Medieval English Hammered Farthings: Henry V - London

This online guide is designed to help

• Metal Detector enthusiasts
• Museum Curators
• Coin Dealers & Collectors

accurately identify and classify their English Hammered Farthings.

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Overview:

Distinguishing between the farthings of Henry IV and Henry V can be difficult - but there are two "tell-tale" signs to distinguish those of Henry V from those of his predecessor.

• First - the coins of Henry IV have a lock of hair to the left of the king's face standing away from the head. This is not the case with coins of Henry V.
• Second - the formation of the inner circles on the obverse. Coins of Henry IV are formed of many small dots which often appear fused together. On coins of Henry V there are fewer dots and these appear as short strokes at an angle to the radial direction (see the photo for clarification).

The farthings from the reign of Henry V fall into two distinct types:

• Large head (Type 1)
• Small head (Type 2)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC REX ΛnGLI
    Large face and crown, both from punches used on some class
    B and C nobles. No neck.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1797A
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 1
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

Sold by:

• An example of this coin is in Withers: Small Change III.

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC[] REX x ΛnGL
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC·REX·ΛnGLI
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2a
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

Sold by:

• An example of this coin is in Withers: Small Change III.

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC[]REX x ΛnGLI'
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from puches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2b
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: HEnRIC [R]EX x ΛnGLIE
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders. Variant legend ending
    AnGLIE and the C is reversed.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. - Unlisted Type 2 variant
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

Sold by:

• (May '04) A chipped but otherwise EF example (see preceding photo) of this coin was sold by Victor McAteer (id: vicleen) on eBay for £135.

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC·REX·ΛnGLIE
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  W. HV Type 2c
  Lockett. Class G
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC' [REX ΛnGLI]
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2d
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 3.75 gr (0.25 gm
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC x [REX·ΛnGLIE]
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2e
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: [+]HEnRICI x REX x ΛnGL
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2f
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRICI x REX x ΛnGLIE
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2g
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

Examples:

1. Lockett (illustrated), no. 3088.
2. SCMB (illustrated - same coin as Lockett), Nov. 1969, Vol. 11, No. 615, p. 378, Fig. 8
3. Withers Small Change III (illustrated - same coin as Lockett)(from the collection of N. Clark), 2003, p.31.

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9mm (i.c.d.o: 6mm)
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: HEnRIC x [REX] ΛnGLI
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders. Similar to Withers
    2e but ends AnGLI.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s) *:
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. - Unlisted Type 2 variant
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

Sold by:

• (May '04) An EF example (see preceding photo) of this coin was sold by Time Line Originals for £425 and then resold by Mike R. Vosper for £600.

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Identify your Henry V Farthing fast...

• Large head or small head?
• Is the initial mark on the obverse a plain thin cross, or a fat cross pattee that looks like it is formed by 4 pellets?
• Match the obverse legend.
• Click on the link.