Henry I Penny

This coin is a recent find that came in from Trevor Rogers; he is one of those people I’ve known for a good number of years but we’ve never met. It’s a class XIV penny of Henry I, who was the third son of William the Conqueror and became King of England in 1100 on the death of his brother, William II. This is one of those highly frustrating coins, on which crucial detail is missing.

Reverse Legend

The legend on the obverse doesn’t really matter, as it just names the king. However, the legend on the reverse is important, for it is made up of the name of the moneyer and the mint. When legends are difficult to interpret the start/end can offer good clues, as the start is the first letter of the moneyer’s name and the end is the last part of the mint. On Trevor’s coin the cross marking the start/end is visible; the two letters that show up to the left of the cross are ND so the most likely mint is London.

The mint signature is more problematic. It might start will B, P or R and the only other letters that show up are three roughly in the middle of the moneyer’s name; all are unclear or ambiguous. Therefore, whilst the mint could be London the moneyer’s name is uncertain.

Valuation

On the obverse the portrait of Henry I stands out quite well but there are two quite large flat areas; the reverse also has flat areas. Another defect is that the flan is bent but is must be slight as it doesn’t show up in the photographs. Despite the flatness and the slight bend it’s still a decent looking class XIV penny of Henry I but with the uncertainty about the mint and moneyer my best price guide would be £250-300.

Of course, someone who just wants the type and isn’t bothered about anything else might pay more.

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