Penny - Edward Expanding Cross type, heavy issue

The Expanding Cross coinage was introduced under Edward the Confessor as part of a systematic renewal cycle in which all dies were periodically recalled and replaced — a mechanism of royal control over minting that also allowed the Crown to profit from recoinage fees. The "heavy issue" designation reflects a brief return to a higher weight standard, reversed within a few years as the cycle continued.

Production was distributed across dozens of minting towns, each using locally cut dies supplied from a central pattern. Die-cutting quality varied considerably between moneyers.