Richard II, halfpenny

This coin is a very recent find and was unearthed by Oliver Jackson. Someone had identified the coin as a halfpenny of Edward III but Oliver wanted to have my opinion on his find.

Well, I would suggest that it is a halfpenny of Richard II. The obverse legend isn’t altogether clear but I read it as +RICARD REX AnGL. The first two letters are punched into the die slightly further away from the inner circle than the others, which makes them difficult to see. However, the last four letters are definitely CARD.

The coin has distinguishing features that mark it out as being an example of the intermediate type, which is listed in the Standard Catalogue as number 1699.

Valuation

The reverse has been struck off centre but the coin is otherwise in about VF condition. In terms of value, a keen collector should be willing to pay £70 – £80 for it.