The Long Cross coinage (1247-1279)
The long cross series was introduced under Henry III in order to prevent the coinage of the country being clipped and thus reduce the weight and value of the silver content of the coin. The idea was that an extended ‘long’ cross on the reverse would make much clearer to the user if coin had been tampered with and thus one should refuse it if the ends of all four limbs weren’t visible. The long cross also made easier the task of cutting the coin into halves and quarters, thus producing halfpennies and farthings, as no round small change would appear until Edward I’s [1272-1307] reform in 1279.
Another feature of this series which has proved useful is the inclusion after the kings name of either TERCI or III, denoting that they belong to the reign of Henry III [1216- 1272]. Unfortunately for identification purposes this practice was not followed in subsequent reigns until Henry VII [1485-1509] included such an indication on his coins.
The series is divided into 7 main types with various sub-classes following those, and descriptions of the key features to look for in order to identify coins of this series are given below along with an indication of their relative rarity. The maps of the mints in operation for each class enables the user to view the mint and the names of the moneyers who minted there, a useful tool in isolating a coin to a class from its reverse inscription alone.
The general appearance of the coin is thus;
Obverse: From 12 o’clock the legend hENRICVS REX (TERCIE/III) around a crowned and bearded facing bust. From class 4 the king wields a sceptre in his right hand and from class 5 the legend begins at 10 o’clock where the sceptre divides REX from III in the legend. The Initial mark is also missing from class 5.
Reverse: (Name of moneyer) ON (mint name) around a long voided cross with trefoils of 3 pellets in each of the angles. Class 1 has a different legend.
BE AWARE: The use of ligatured lettering is very common in this series, with adjoining letters sharing the same uprights. In some cases 3 letters are joined in this way.
The first five long cross classes belong to Henry III, with the last two attributed to Edward I before his own reform of 1279:
Henry III [1216-1272]: Classes 1-5
Edward I [1272 - 1327]: Classes 6-7
Class 1a: 1247-8 (Very Rare)
Initial mark: Crescent and Star
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX
Reverse legend: ANG/LIE/TER/CI:
The rare coins of this class come from the mint of London only.
Class 1b: 1247-8 (Rare)
Initial mark: Crescent and Star
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX AN(G)
Reverse legend: Either LIE/TER/CI:/LVN or LON for coins of London, LIE/TER/CI:/CAN for Canterbury or LIE/TER/CI:/AED for Bury St. Edmunds.
Class 2a: 1248
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX TERCI
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Letter X formed of one straight and one curving element
Class 2b: 1248
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX TERCI
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Letter X formed of two straight lines
Class 3a: 1248-50
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX:III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Thin face with a pointed chin, two forms of X.
North subdivides this class further with 3ab1 and 3ab2
Class 3b: 1248-50
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Rounder, chunkier face with the beard formed (usually) of 3 pellets either side of the central chin pellet.
A transitional class (3bc) exists between this and the next variety. It is distinguished by the ENR in the Obverse legend being ligatured.
Class 3c: 1248-50
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX:III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: More pointed face with the neck indicated by two small lines. Usually pellets within the curls of hair on either side of the head. Some later coins have a pellet-footed R.
Class 4a: 1250-1 (Rare)
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX:III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand.
Class 4ab: 1250-1 (Rare)
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX:III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Realistic central fleur at centre of crown.
Class 4b: 1250-1 (Very Rare)
Initial mark: Star.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Larger face with ends of crown made up of half fleurs.
Class 5a: 1251-72
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Legends begins at 10 o’clock. Sceptre in kings hand. The R is pellet-footed and the eyes are round.
North has further subdivided this class into the very rare 5a1 (straight X; crown ends are half fleurs), 5a2 (crown ends are pellets; sometimes A double-barred) and 5a3 (curved X)
Class 5b: 1251-72
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Wedge shaped R and round eyes.
North has further subdivided this class into 5b1 (crown ends are half fleurs), 5b2 (longer face; crown ends are pellets; sometimes A double-barred)
Class 5c: 1251-72
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. More rounded face with oval shaped eyes. The letters A and N on the reverse are double-barred.
Class 5d: 1251-72 (Rare)
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. New style bust with realistic half-fleurs at crown ends. NR in Obverse legend often not ligatured though the EN sometimes is. New style R and X and sometimes the И is reverse-barred.
Class 5e: 1251-72 (Very Rare)
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Crown made up of two bands with 4 pellets between.
Class 5f: 1251-72
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Crown made up of two bands with nothing between. Sometimes a colon of 3 pellets prefixes hENRICVS.
Class 5g: 1251-72
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Crown consists of a single thick band with a low central fleur. Two styles of X and h appear on these coins.
Class 5h: 1251-72
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Central fleur of crown made up of 3 pellets.
Class 5i: 1251-72 (Extremely Rare)
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Crude copy of 5h with the beard made up of 3 pellets.
Class 6: 1272-9
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. The hair now takes the form of more realistic curls down either side of the head.
Class 7: 1272-9
Initial mark: None.
Obverse legend: hENRICVS REX III
Reverse legend: (Moneyer name) ON (Mint name)
Diagnostic features: Sceptre in kings hand. Realistic hair curls with a better engraved portrait. N and R not normally ligatured and new Lombardic U’s and n’s appear.
Contemporary Scottish coins
The long reign of Henry III in England was mirrored in Scotland by that of Alexander III (1249-1286) and the imitation of the long cross style in the Scottish pence followed in around 1250.
General appearance:
Obverse: From 12 o’clock (sometimes 2 o’clock) the legend reads +ALEXANDER REX around the crowned profile bust of the king (facing either left or right). A sceptre appears in front of the kings bust which overlaps into the legend.
Reverse: (Name of moneyer) ON (mint name) around a long voided cross with stars in each of the angles.
Transitional Coinage. 1249-50
Class IB: Beardless head facing either left or right. Reverse cross has hooked ends.
First Coinage. ‘Long Cross and stars’, 1250-80
Class II: Young looking face, filleted. Normally facing right.
Class III: Small left facing head with neat, compact crown.
Class IV: Crown is tall with fleurs and large jewels.
Class V: Tall thin left facing head.
Class VI: Tall crowned head facing right.
Class VII: Thick jewelled crown. Bust facing right or left.
Class VIII: Square face with low-sitting crown, facing right or left.
Contemporary Irish coins
In Ireland the new style of coin did not appear until autumn 1251, when the mint at Dublin opened striking coin from dies produced in London. The mint had a brief existence when it closed in 1254, it has been suggested that all of the older money had been re-coined by this date and thus the mint was no longer required. Finds suggest that a significant quantity of the Irish pence was exported to England and the continent. Between 1276-9 the long cross coins of Edward I were briefly minted in Ireland.
Obverse: From 12 o’clock the legend reads hENRI/CVSR/EX III around a triangle containing the crowned and bearded facing bust of the king. He holds a sceptre in his right hand which overlaps into the legend dividing the EX and III.
Reverse: (Name of moneyer) ON (mint name) around a long voided cross with trefoils of 3 pellets in each of the angles.
Subdivisions of the Irish coins:
Class Ia: As above but a double triangle and with ENR normally ligatured.
Class Ib: Single triangle.
Class Ic: Sexfoil to the right of the bust and a small triangle below fleur of crown.
Class Id: Crown has a double band.
Class IIa: Less fine workmanship with a cinquefoil to the right of the bust. Pellets of crown not joined to the band.
Class IIb: Crown jewelled with pellets.
Class IIc: 3 curls of hair to either side of the bust instead of the normal 2.
Class IId: Shoulders appear broadly from base of neck.
First ‘hENRICVS’ coinage 1276-79 (Rare)
As above but with the realistic hair curls seen in English classes 6 & 7. These issues are all of the moneyer Ricard at Dublin and have been divided into 2 classes based on the V in hENRICVS and DIVE being of Roman type (V) or of Lombardic type (U).
Continental Imitations
The long cross coinage was copied on the continent but a complete study and classification of the types has yet to be made. Key things to look out for are the use of punches to make up letters that are not used on the English series, and the often blundered, retrograde or clumsy copying of the Reverse legends in particular.
Silver-plated contemporary copies are also known and these are easily distinguished by their nonsense legend and very crude workmanship.
