|
I offer English coins from the eleventh through the fifteenth century--pence from the reign of William I through half-groats from the reign of Henry VI. These coins are hammered or cast from lead-free pewter. The dates of mintage are given below, but coins circulated for decades after they were no longer minted, and have often turned up in hoards of coins from centuries later. The English system of currency consisted primarily of pennies, half-groats worth two pennies, and groats worth four pennies, but also included coins not represented here such as the farthing and halfpenny, or the gold coinages of Edward III which were worth twenty or more pennies each--the equivalent of large bills for the wealthy.
|