Description:
This English silver coin was minted during the 13th century rule of King Henry III. The obverse side features the crowned facing head of Henry III, with the Latin inscription HENRICVS REX TERCI, translated to "King Henry the Third." The reverse shows a long cross with the legend PhILIP ONNORh stating the moneyer’s name Philip and the mint mark city of Northampton. The English silver penny was introduced around the year 785 by King Offa of Mercia, a Kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England. The penny stayed in circulation continuously until the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.
Henry III, was crowned King of England at age nine in 1216 and ruled until his death in 1272. In 1236, Henry married Eleanor of Provence, with whom he had five children. Henry designated Westminster Hall as the fixed seat of power in England, becoming the greatest ceremonial space of the Kingdom. In 1245, he ordered the renovation of Westminster Abbey in the Gothic style, with the centerpiece being a shrine to Saint Edward the Confessor.
England generally prospered during his reign; however, Henry's rule saw significant conflicts with the barons, particularly the rebellion led by Simon de Montfort in 1263. His reign of 56 years was the longest in medieval English history. Though not seen as the most tyrannical of kings, unlike his son Edward I "Longshanks", discontent was common during Henry's time. The earliest Robin Hood sources and tales suggest that the heroic outlaw lived during Henry's reign.
