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Auction: 14007 - Ancient, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals
Lot: 529

The Angevin party (1139-48), anonymous issue in the name of King Henry I, Penny, 1.00g, west country mint, possibly Hereford, naive style bust right with broad double diadem in place of crown, sceptre before, legend most likely beginning by fleur of sceptre and probably attempting hen?[ricvs]r.ex?, rev. [o]n : h[eref?], quadrilateral on cross fleury as Henry I Type XV (BMC 279; Mack BNJ 35 1966, no.253; cf Ruding Supp. II, pl II, 11; N.940/2; S.1329), base silver as per normal for Angevin issues, flan crack at 9 o'clock, light undulations, well centred and exceptionally well preserved for this brittle anarchical coinage, very fine for issue, extremely rare and probably the fifth known specimen

provenance
Found near Chesham, Buckinghamshire, September 2014
Recorded with the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, EMC 2014.0328

The anonymous Angevin issues in the name of the Norman kings 'William' and 'Henry' are a veritably mysterious and numismatically troublesome coinage. Until recently the HENRICVS REX pieces were given to Matilda's son Henry of Anjou. It is currently thought that these invocations of past kings acted as a reminder of the direct kingly lineage and was a suitable alternative to Stephen's regnal title. At least two of the four known specimens of this particular variant are from the c.1804 Winterslow, Wilts hoard, cf Thompson 378. This hoard of 18 pennies and cut halves contained a smattering of 'anonymous' Angevin west country pennies with ambiguous mint signatures which, at the time, were given to mints such as Sherborne and Wiveliscombe. One piece in the name of Henry can be given to Gloucester on the strength of the mint signature GLO. It is indeed certain that the current piece has distinct similarities wih the known Maudian coinage; base and brittle in appearance, crudely cut, hand engraved legends and with the distinctive Angevin fleur (well spaced and a strong pellet at the centre). It would seem likely from a stylistic point of view that the same hand was involved in producing certain Maudian and 'anonymous' issues. Patience, however, is required to see whether or not a specimen of this particular variant materialises which can help verify a place of mintage for the issue.

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Estimate
£2,500 to £3,500