Rhuddlan mint copy of Henry II penny

I’ve had quite a number of voided short cross pennies on this website and here is another. This was sent in by John Lashmar and isn’t a run-of-the-mill type, variety or mint.

There is a crudely fashioned head on the obverse and the letter N in hENRICVS is reversed. On the reverse the legend reads +hALLI ON RVLA. Therefore, this coin was struck at a mint situated at Rhuddlan in Wales. It belongs to group I and is an example of Brand class i, which dates from circa 1180-90.

The castle that is now a ruin at Rhuddlan was built by order of Edward I. However, prior to that, a smaller building had been constructed soon after the Normans moved into Wales. This castle eventually came under the control of the Princes of Gwynedd. The first coins, copying Henry II short cross pennies, were struck there around 1180. In 1211 the castle was taken by King John but recaptured by Llewelyn ap Iorwerth in 1213. It would remain in Welsh hands until 1241, when it was ceded to Henry III. Coins ceased to be struck at Rhuddlan circa 1215.

Valuation

No collection of voided short cross pennies can be said to be complete until it has at least one coin from the Rhuddlan mint. John’s specimen would grade only Fine but it’s a decent specimen of the mint, class and date and to a keen collector it should be worth £100.