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Penny - Civil War Ornamented group, King Stephen and Queen Matilda
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1140-1149 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Penny |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Two full-length standing figures facing one another in the field, each robed, holding between them a long sceptre fleurée. The design is executed in the angular, schematic style characteristic of the Civil War period of Stephen's reign, with the figures rendered in a highly stylised manner typical of mid-12th-century Anglo-Norman hammered coinage. The surrounding legend is partially legible around the irregular flan. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The coins attributed to Stephen and Matilda's joint issue emerge from one of English history's most chaotic monetary periods — the Anarchy, when baronial mints proliferated across the country beyond any central control. With Stephen captured at Lincoln in February 1141 and Matilda briefly declared "Lady of the English," normal regal authority collapsed entirely. Local lords and bishops struck coin on their own authority, and the royal mint output became almost impossible to distinguish from these unofficial issues by die study alone.
North 922 sits within a group where attribution remains genuinely contested among specialists. The pairing of Stephen and Matilda on a single issue reflects a political moment rather than a stable reign.