Henry VI, penny

This very recent find (7 April) was unearthed by Oliver Jackson, who asked for it to be identified. The legend is weak in places, which could be problematic for identification purposes. However, enough detail is visible for me to pin it down.

On the obverse there is a pellet either side of the king’s crown. There should a leaf on the king’s breast but it doesn’t show up. In the centre of the reverse are two interlinked rings. The part of the legend that is visible reads OLM, so the mint is Durham.

The coin is a Henry VI penny, which was struck during the leaf pellet coinage (1445-54) for Bishop Neville. There are two varieties listed in the Standard Catalogue as number 1926 and 1927 but due to the weak obverse legend I can’t say which it is.

Valuation

Oliver’s find is in Fine condition but with weak areas and it has been struck on a small, irregular flan. The condition could be better but on the plus side it is rarer than many other pennies of Henry VI. In terms of value, it should be worth £40 – £50 to a keen collector.

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