Medieval English Hammered Farthings: Henry V - London

This online guide is designed to help

• Metal Detector enthusiasts
• Museum Curators
• Coin Dealers & Collectors

accurately identify and classify their English Hammered Farthings.

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Overview:

Two factors resulted in large quantities of silver coins being produced by the London mint at the start of Henry V's reign:

the reduction in coin weight introduced by Henry IV and Parliament in 1411

a Statute of 1416 that required that Venentian "Galley Halfpence" to be removed from circulation, defaced and melted down for re-minting

It was perfect timing for Henry V needed currency to pay for his war with France¹.

The great need for currency is reflected in the mint records for the time; during the four years of Henry's first French campaign, an average of 4,700 pounds of silver was struck into coins by the mint. With the cessation of the war, the mint returned to a more normal period of production, with an average of 1,500 pounds of silver struck².

It is important to remember that while vast quantities of coins were being produced, only a tiny fraction of this was struck into farthings.


Distinguishing between the farthings of Henry IV and Henry V can be difficult - but there are two "tell-tale" signs to distinguish those of Henry V from those of his father.

• First - the coins of Henry IV have a lock of hair to the left of the king's face standing away from the head. This is not the case with coins of Henry V.
• Second - the formation of the inner circles on the obverse. Coins of Henry IV are formed of many small dots which often appear fused together. On coins of Henry V there are fewer dots and these appear as short strokes at an angle to the radial direction (see the photo for clarification).

The farthings from the reign of Henry V fall into two distinct types:

• Large head (Type 1)
• Small head (Type 2)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Mint Master: Ludovic or Lewis John (early 1413-)
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC REX ΛnGLI
    Large face and crown, both from punches used on some class
    B and C nobles. No neck.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1797A
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 1
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC x REX x ΛnGL
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC·REX·ΛnGLI
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2a
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC[]REX x ΛnGLI'
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from puches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2b
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 10mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: HEnRIC [R]EX x ΛnGLIE
    Cross pommee. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders. Variant legend ending
    AnGLIE and the C is reversed.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. - Unlisted Type 2 variant
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC·REX·ΛnGLIE
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  W. HV Type 2c
  Lockett. Class G
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC' [REX ΛnGLI]
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2d
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 3.75 gr (0.25 gm
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRIC x [REX·ΛnGLIE]
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2e
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: [+]HEnRICI x REX x ΛnGL
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2f
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9-11mm
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: +HEnRICI x REX x ΛnGLIE
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. Class G
  W. HV Type 2g
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

Examples:

1. Lockett (illustrated), no. 3088.
2. SCMB (illustrated - same coin as Lockett), Nov. 1969, Vol. 11, No. 615, p. 378, Fig. 8
3. Withers Small Change III (illustrated - same coin as Lockett)(from the collection of N. Clark), 2003, p.31.

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9mm (i.c.d.o: 6mm)
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: HEnRIC x [REX] ΛnGLI
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders. Similar to Withers
    2e but ends AnGLI.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s) *:
  S.1798
  N.1413
  Lockett. Class G
  W. - Unlisted Type 2 variant
Scarcity: Very Rare

Guide Price:
  £250 (Fine)
  £375(Very Fine)

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Date: 1413-1422
Mint: London
Type: Standard

Diameter: 9mm (i.c.d.o: 6mm)
Weight: 0.25g (3¾ grains³)
Purity: 0.925 silver

Obverse: HEnRIC x DI x GRA x REX
    Plain cross. Small face and crown, both from punches used on
    some half nobles. Thin neck and shoulders. Long legend
    that was previously unrecorded on either halfpennies or farthings
    of this period.

Reverse: CIVI TΛS LOn DOn
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s) *:
  S.-
  N.-
  Lockett. -
  W. - Unlisted Type 3
Scarcity: Currently Unique

Guide Price:
  £450 (Fine)
  £900(Very Fine)

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Identify your Henry V Farthing fast...

• Large head or small head?
• Is the initial mark on the obverse a plain thin cross, or a fat cross pattee that looks like it is formed by 4 pellets?
• Match the obverse legend.
• Click on the link.