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This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades. It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbey’s minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338. This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal.: CM.149-2000

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Titles

This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades. It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbey’s minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338. This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal.

Maker(s)

Mint: Reading
Ruler: Edward III (1327-77)

Entities

Categories

Description

Edward III (1327-77), silver penny, class 15d, Reading, struck 1338-43 (unique, unpublished), fragmentary, 1.16g. Found in the vicinity of Harlow, Essex, c.1999.

Notes

History note: Under Review

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (2000-03-06) by Vosper, M. R.

Dating

1338 - 1343

Components of the work

Object composed of silver Weight 1.16 g

Identification numbers

Accession number: CM.149-2000
Primary reference Number: 265862

Audit data

Created: Friday 13 November 2020 Updated: Monday 25 March 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Coins and Medals

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades. It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbey’s minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338. This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal." Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/265862 Accessed: 2025-12-09 12:20:51

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/265862 |title=This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades. It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbey’s minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338. This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal. |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-09 12:20:51|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        alt="This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades.  It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings.  Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it.  In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbey’s minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338.  This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies.  Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal."
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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">This is one of the most important finds of an English medieval coin in decades.  It is the only fine silver coin that can be attributed to the period 1335-43 when the English mints were producing debased halfpence and farthings.  Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it.  In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbey’s minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in November 1338.  This coin, whose existence was predicted in 1913, must have been struck from those dies.  Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences. Credit for this acquisition goes to our Departmental Technician, Dr Martin Allen, who recognised its significance and has written a paper on it for publication in the British Numismatic Journal.</figcaption>
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