Ireland. John as lord of Ireland (1177-1199), AR Half-penny. Dublin, c. 1190-1198. +IOHANNES DO, facing diademed head / +TOMAS…VVE, voided cross potent. SCBI 10, Belfast, 231-74; S 6205. 0.71g, 14mm, 6h.

Irish Coin Daily: Prince John’s Silver Halfpenny (Second Coinage, Dublin Mint / Tomas)

Date: c. 1190-1199 Description: Ireland. John as Lord of Ireland (1177-1199), silver halfpenny. Halfpenny, second coinage (1190-99), Dublin mint, c. 1190-1199. SCBI 10, Belfast, 231-74; S 6205. 0.71g, 14mm, 6h. Very Fine (VF) Obverse: Facing diademed head, legend around +IOHANNES DO Translates as “John Dominus” Reverse: Voided cross potent, legend around +TOMAS…VVE Translates as “Tomas of…

Henry II of England, Short Cross Class 1B Penny, Moneyer Oslac of Worcester

O’Brien Coin Guide: Why did Henry II not issue coins for Ireland?

Background Henry’s Troubled Succession Henry was born in France at Le Mans on 5 March 1133 as the eldest child of Geoffrey the Fair, Count of Anjou, and the Empress Matilda, so titled because of her first marriage to Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor. Henry’s mother was a very powerful woman: She was the…

O’Brien Rare Coin Review: First coinage of John as Lord of Ireland (First Profile issue)

Introduction Prince John was the youngest of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and was not expected to inherit significant lands – hence his nickname John Lackland. Following the failed rebellion of his elder brothers between 1173 and 1174, however, John became Henry’s favourite child. In 1173 John’s elder…

Between March 1185 and as late as October 1199, John, the youngest son of Henry II used an equestrian seal (fig. 1) of about three inches in diameter on which he is represented as a fully armed knight, galloping to the right, and carrying a convex shield charged with two lions passant. He wears a hauberk of mail under a cloth surcoat, and a coif surmounted by a round-topped nasal helmet which interrupts the legend between the words, HIB'NIE and + SIGILLVM. In his right hand he brandishes a sword. The horse wears an ornamental breast-band, saddle and stirrups; it is not caparisoned. The legend reads, + SIGILLVM IOHANNIS FILII REGIS ANGLIE DOMINIE HIB'NIE

John’s 1st Expedition to Ireland (as Lord of Ireland, 1185)

Introduction It must be remembered that the initial invasion of Ireland by the Cambro-Norman lords was not an invasion but an invitation by a deposed Irish king to foreign mercenaries to help him regain his title. These Cambro-Norman mercenaries fought alongside their Irish host as part of an inter-necine battle for supremacy. It was not…

How hammered coins were made in medieval times (a video blog)

One of the most asked questions relating to hammered coins is “how are they made?” Rather than go into a long speech about how it was done, perhaps it is best if I leave this to the experts …. Dave Greenhalgh (Cosmeston Medieval Village) & Barrie Cook (Curator of Medieval Coins, British Museum) Dave reckons…

Collecting medieval Irish coins

One of the more difficult aspects of coin collecting is the language barrier one encounters when trying to decipher the legends (text around the edges) of coins. Very few of us speak Latin and truncated Latin still appears on British coins today. As we all know, British coins circulated alongside Irish coins in this country…

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