Medieval English Hammered Farthings: Edward I Newcastle Farthing

This online guide is designed to help

Metal Detector enthusiasts
Museum Curators
Coin Dealers & Collectors

accurately identify and classify their English Hammered Farthings.

Overview:

When Edward I started the recoinage of 1279, Newcastle upon Tyne was not one of the cities granted an exchange. But, it was opened in mid 1280 to relieve the overworked London mint, to facilitate the exchange of new money¹ and to distribute coins to the army involved in Scottish campaigns. The mint closed a year later.

The mint produced few farthings and less than a dozen examples have been found.

The coinage of c. Christmas 1280 - Autumn 1281 (Group IIIde)

Farthing production did not commence here until late December 1280, coinciding with a proclamation that all new farthings were to be made from sterling silver. Previously, all farthings had a certain amount of alloy added to the silver to make the coins larger for convienient use, but from a monetary point of view, the alloyed silver issue proved unpopular. Without the added weight of the alloy, these new farthings were lighter than the previous issues, with a nominal weight of only 5.51 grains

This issue of farthings was also produced at the regional "royal" mints of Bristol, Lincoln and York.

Date: 1280-81
Mint: Newcastle
Type: 10 (5½ grains²)

Diameter: 11mm
Weight: 0.33g

Obverse: +E R AN GLIE
Crown as Types 8-9, with bust to edge of flan.

Reverse: NO VIC AS TRI
"Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter. Distinctive
pellet barred N.

Reference(s):
S.1453A
N.1053/2
Fox. Class IIIde
SCBI 39 (North Collection) 1016
Scarcity: Extremely Rare

Guide Price:
£100 (Fine)
£300 (Very Fine)

Sold by:

(Jan. '02) A very fine example of this coin (first photo) was sold by CNG Triton V sale, lot 2458; ex Conte; ex J.J. North; bt Spink 1983; said to have been found in East Anglia. In 2002 it was one of only two coins known. This published: J.J. North, 'An unpublished farthing of Edward I', British Numismatic Journal 52 (1982), pp. 242-3; SCBI 39, 1016. Sold to the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge for $1000.
(June '03) A poor/fair example of this coin (second photo) was sold to the collector Timothy D. Cook by CNG, lot 182, for $66.
(July '05) A fair example of this coin (forth photo) was sold by DNW, lot 184, for £130.
(July '06) A fair example of this coin (fifth photo) failed to reach the reserve on eBay and was sold by DNW (Sept '06).

Other known examples:

J.J. North "English Hammered Coinage" illustrates one example
One example in the British Museum - ex. Dr. Rogers Collection
eBay January 2010

Date: 1280-81
Mint: Newcastle
Type: 10var (5½ grains²)

Diameter: 11mm
Weight: 0.33g

Obverse: +E R AN GLIE
Crown as Types 8-9, with bust to edge of flan.

Reverse: NO VIC AS TRI
"Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter. Normal
barred N.

Reference(s):
S.1453A
N.1053/2
Fox. Class IIIde
SCBI 39 (North Collection) 1016
Scarcity: Extremely Rare

Guide Price:
£100 (Fine)
£300 (Very Fine)

Sold by:

(Aug '06) A fine example of this coin was sold on eBay for £710.

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¹ MATE, M. 1972: Monetary Policies in England, 1272-1307 (BNJ 41) pp
79

² SEABY, BA. (ed) 1948: Notes on English Silver Coins 1066-1648 to
help collectors in their classification (London, Seaby). pp 87

Medieval English Hammered Farthings - Edward I: Newcastle mint