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Penny - Civil War Eastern Variants, Suffolk mints
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1138-1153 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Sp#1288, North#892 |
| Obverse description | Facing crowned bust of King Stephen in high relief, rendered in the crude hammered style characteristic of the Civil War period, with the crown depicted above the head and a sceptre held to the right. The effigy is stylised and flat, reflecting the provincial workmanship of a Suffolk mint operating under the disrupted conditions of the Anarchy. A beaded inner circle frames the bust, with the royal legend distributed around the periphery of the flan. The irregular planchet and variable strike are consistent with contemporary emergency coinage of the reign. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The pennies struck at Suffolk mints during the Anarchy — the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda — reflect a period when central royal control over coinage had effectively collapsed. Local lords and ecclesiastical authorities issued coins under their own supervision, with quality and silver content varying considerably between workshops. The Suffolk issues attributable to this period include output from Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, the latter operating under the authority of the abbey.
North 892 covers a loose grouping, and attribution to specific mints within Suffolk often depends on die-linkage studies rather than explicit mint signatures.