Class 5 sub-classes

Henry III LC 5a3 Penny London.jpg

Class 5a (1251 - c1253)

  • Round eyes formed by a pellet in a circle
  • Letter R is ball-tailed
  • Central ornament of crown is a large and well defined fleur
  • Small crescents in obverse field between/below curls
  • Chin is usually rounded

Three varieties:

  • 5a1: Half-fleur at each end of crown (London - one die only)
  • 5a2: Pellet each end of crown. Straight X
  • 5a3: As 5a2 but with new X, as illustrated
Henry III LC 5b2 Penny London.jpg

Class 5b (c1253)

  • Round eyes formed by a pellet in a circle
  • Letter R is wedge-tailed
  • Central ornament of crown is a large and well defined fleur
  • Small crescents in obverse field between/below curls
  • Chin is usually pointed

Two varieties:

  • 5b1: Half-fleur at each end of crown (London - one die only)
  • 5b2: Pellet each end of crown, as illustrated
Henry III LC 5c Penny London +.jpg

Class 5c (c1253 - c1256)

  • Oval or almond-shaped eyes formed by a pellet in an ellipse
  • Letter R is usually wedge-tailed, but see 5c1 below
  • Central ornament of crown is usually a large and well defined fleur, but see 5c3 below
  • Small crescents and/or pellets in obverse field between/below curls

Three varieties:

  • 5c1: An early variety with the oval eyes of 5c, but the ball-tailed 'R' of 5a
  • 5c2: The 'normal' 5c coin, as illustrated
  • 5c3: Central ornament of crown is a trefoil of pellets, somewhat resembling that of sub-class 5h (Canterbury only)
Henry III LC 5d Penny Canterbury.jpg

Class 5d (c1256)

  • Busts (three varieties, see below) of markedly different style
  • Crown has low central fleur and half-fleurs at each end
  • Pellets in obverse field between/below curls
  • Unusual mint signatures, e.g. KAN for Canterbury, BERI for Bury St Edmunds

Three varieties:

  • 5d1: Bust of very crude style
  • 5d2: Bust of ‘normal’ style, as illustrated
  • 5d3: Bust of unusually fine style
Henry III LC 5e Penny.jpg

Class 5e (c1257)

  • Bust of markedly different style, as 5d
  • Crown has a double band with four pellets between ('jewelled crown')
  • Pellets in obverse field between/below curls
Henry III LC 5f Penny Canterbury.jpg

Class 5f (c1257 - c1258)

  • Bust resembles class 5c
  • Crown has double band with central fleur and pellet ornament at each end
  • Central fleur of crown smaller than on classes 5a-5c
  • Pellets in obverse field between/below curls
Henry III LC 5g Penny Canterbury 2.jpg

Class 5g (c1258 - c1270)

  • Bust resembles 5f, but on later coins the face becomes narrower
  • Crown has single band with low central fleur and pellet ornament at each end
  • Pellets in obverse field between/below curls
  • Letter R has 'stubby' notched tail
Henry III LC 5h Penny London.jpg

Class 5h (c1270 - c1272)

  • Central ornament of crown consists of three pellets, initially in triangular formation, but progressively degenerating into a line of pellets along the top of the band
Henry III LC 5i Penny London +.jpg

Class 5i (c1272)

  • Degenerate copy of 5h
  • Beard often consists of three lines of pellets
  • Eyes are abnormally large
 

Notes regarding class 5 sub-classes

M R Vosper has published a paper describing the class 5d varieties on his website (see Bibliography).

Lawrence regarded class 5h as the later phase of class 5g in which style was progressively deteriorating. He barely mentions class 5i in the text of his paper, but includes it in his table of classes.



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