Medieval English Hammered Farthings: Henry VI - Calais

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:

A number of different mintmarks were used during the reign of Henry VI - allowing for the accurate dating of farthings. Full flan coins are difficult to find. This makes collecting farthings from this period an interesting and challenging task.

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Date: 1422-1427
Mint: Calais
Type: ANNULET ISSUE

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.21g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +hEnRIC xREX xAnGL'
    Annulets at neck. Thin neck. Mintmark is a "cross pommee."
Reverse: VIL LA: CAL IS:
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  W.A.1
  S.1852
  N.1438
Scarcity: Extremely Rare

Guide Price:
  £200 (Fine)
  £425 (Very Fine)

Note: In SCMB of March 1970, only 2 examples of these farthings were
         known. One was in the British Museum. This author knows of at
         least two others: one was in the Ivor Buck collection (sold by
         Spinks in November 2005); and the other was found by a
         detectorist in 2004. It is still fair to say that these are extremely
         rare coins.

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Date: 1422-1427
Mint: Calais
Type: ANNULET ISSUE

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.21g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +hEnRIC'xREX xAnGL'
    Annulets at neck. "Bib" chest. Mintmark is a "cross pommee."
Reverse: VIL LAx CAL IS'x
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  W.A.2
  S.1852
  N.1438
Scarcity: Extremely Rare

Guide Price:
  £200 (Fine)
  £425 (Very Fine)

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Date: 1422-1427
Mint: Calais
Type: ANNULET ISSUE

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.21g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +hEnRIC REX.AnGL[']
    Annulets at neck. "Bib" chest. Mintmark is a "cross pommee."
Reverse: VIL LA_x^x CAL IS_x^x
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  W.A.3
  S.1852
  N.1438
Scarcity: Extremely Rare

Guide Price:
  £200 (Fine)
  £425 (Very Fine)

Sold by:

• (Dec. '05) A fine example of this coin, previously in the collection of Ivan Buck, was sold by Spinks. The reverse of this coin is illustrated in Withers: Small Change III.

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Date: 1427-1430
Mint: Calais
Type: ROSETTE-MASCLE ISSUE

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.21g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +hEnRIC|REXtAnGL
    Rosette and Mascle in legend. Mintmark is a "cross pommee."
Reverse: VIL tLA CAL IS|
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter. Rosette and Mascle
    in legend.

Reference(s):
  W.RM.1
  S.1873
  N.1456
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £175 (Fine)
  £375 (Very Fine)

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Date: 1427-1430
Mint: Calais
Type: PINECONE-MASCLE ISSUE

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.21g (3¾ grains¹)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +hEnRICQREXtAnGL
    Pinecone and Mascle in legend. Mintmark is a "cross pommee."
Reverse: VIL tLA CAL ISQ
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter. Pinecone and Mascle
    in legend.

Reference(s):
  W.PM.1
  S.1873
  N.1456
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £175 (Fine)
  £375 (Very Fine)

Sold by:

• (Dec. '03) A fine example of this coin (see first picture), on a ragged flan (0.24g), was sold by CNG Inc for $209. Purchased by: Colin Cooke.
• An example of this coin (from the collection of N. Clark) is in Withers: Small Change III.

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¹ SEABY, BA. (ed) 1948: Notes on English Silver Coins 1066-1648 to help
  collectors in their classification (London, Seaby). pp 87

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