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1 Penny - Henry II Short Cross type, class 1b
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1180-1189 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.38 g |
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| Obverse description | Facing crowned bust of King Henry II rendered in fine portrait style, with two curls to the left and five curls to the right of the face. The king holds a sceptre to the left. A beaded inner circle frames the effigy, with the Latin royal legend disposed around the periphery. A stop appears before REX on most specimens of this class. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | hЄNRICVS • RЄX (Translation: King Henry) |
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| Additional information |
The Short Cross coinage was introduced in 1180 as a deliberate reform to combat the chronic problem of coin clipping — the practice of shaving silver from a coin's edge. By extending the cross on the reverse to the coin's rim, the intent was to make clipping immediately visible. It didn't stop the practice, but it slowed it. The design ran essentially unchanged through six reigns until 1247, with the legend continuing to read HENRICVS REX regardless of who actually sat on the throne.
Class 1b is distinguished from the opening 1a by subtle die characteristic shifts in the lettering, identified through the patient work of later scholars cross-referencing surviving specimens by moneyer and mint.