KING JOHN, (THE BAD) 1199-1216,
A SILVER PENNY of CANTERBURY

Moneyer Samuel (+SAMUEL ON CAN)


S.1354, 6a Small Bearded Portrait.

A scarce coin with the usual off centre strike. An excellent portrait of King John with clear moneyer & town attribution. King John was the incumbent monarch who basically financially terrorised the country with the assistance of characters such as the Sheriff of Nottingham while Richard I “The Lionheart” was fighting Saladin in the Holy Lands during the crusades.

He was basically forced to sign MAGNA CARTA in 1215 at Runnymede.

So insecure was John that he travelled with the Crown Jewels in a large caravan of wagons. While crossing The Wash in 1216 it is thought that the caravan was overcome by the rising tide with the effect that the entire current and earlier Saxon Crown Jewels were lost to the sea. John spent the next night 17/18th October 1216 at Sleaford Castle (at the end of what is now Castle Causeway.) He died of “dysentery, pneumonia and distress” the following night 18/19th October 1216 in Newark Castle.

Coins such as this were in general circulation during the time of the legendary Robin Hood.

VF or better for issue

£95