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Richard I Penny, type IVb, Shrewsbury Mint, Moneyer Ive, local silver
Richard I (1189-99),silver short cross Penny, class IVb (c.1200-1204), in the name of his Father, Shrewsbury Mint, moneyer Ive, facing crowned bust with sceptre outside inner linear circle, legend commences upper left, hENRICVS R EX,rev.short voided cross pommee, cross pommee in each angle, beaded circles and legend surrounding, +IVE. ON. SALOP, weight 1.25g (Mass 1140; N.968/2; S.1348C).Toned with some flat spotting in striking, otherwise with a good portrait and clear mint name, good very fine for issue.
All of the coins dating to the reign of Richard I by class, are depicted in the name of his Father King Henry II as are those of King John who succeeds him. The legend therefore reads "Henry King" on the obverse and "Ive of Shrewsbury" on the reverse.
The relatively recently published book "The Metal in Britain's Coins" by Dr Graham Birch and published by Spink has a chapter devoted to the sources of medieval silver coinage, and one of the few issues traceable to silver mined locally in England, is the penny coinage of the Shrewsbury Mint in the reign of Richard I as we have demonstrated herewith for sale. Pipe rolls survive from the mine at Carreghofa at Llanymynech Hill for the years 1193-96 and the Mint at Shrewsbury was set up to process the silver specifically into coin. A mint had previously operated at this location in the tenth century but closed at the time of the Norman invasion, with a brief reopening for the recoinage of long cross pennies in 1158-62 period. The Carreghofa operation was supervised by financier Joseph Aaron and was seen as a way to bolster the finances of Richard I overseen by Archbishop Hubert Walter. A total of £40 was allocated to Aaron to establish the mining operation, with £28 of this money used for security to protect the mine as it was located at the Welsh border. Shrewsbury Castle walls were repaired and 54 Shillings was paid to reopen the Mint. However, the output of the mine was seemingly not enough to make the operation economically viable and only six obverse and five reverse dies were used to strike the pennies, which are often crudely struck. At least the strengthening of the castle meant it could be used later as a bargaining chip in a negotiation with the Welsh warlord Gwenwynwyn who took possession in 1197.
The third son of King Henry II, Richard was born on 8th September 1157 and with his elder brothers pre-deceasing him, and after a final rebellion against his Father in 1189, shortly after which the King died, probably from complications of an ulcer, Richard inherited the Angevin Empire. He was also Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine and Nantes, and additionally at varied times Overlord of Brittany. He became known as Richard Couer De Lion, in English "Richard the Lionheart" due to his great reputation as a military leader having commanded his own army as young as age 16. He was successful in putting down rebellions in parts of his own kingdoms and was an important Christian Commander in the Third Crusade leading the campaign after Philip II of France had departed. He achieved considerable victories against Muslim counterpart Saladin, finalised a peace treaty by 2nd September 1192 and ended the campaign without retaking Jerusalem, perhaps partly due to falling ill from arnaldia leaving on 9th October 1192 intending to return to England.
Richard lived most of his adult life when home in the Duchy of Aquitaine where his coinage actually carries his name. He may have spent as little as six months actually in England in the decade long reign, and this goes some way toward explaining why his English coinage continues in the name of his Father, and that perhaps he saw the revenues generated by England as something merely to fund and support his armies and military campaigns which were numerous.
Richard was captured shortly before Christmas 1192 near Vienna by Leopold of Austria having never made it back to England after being shipwrecked, and was kept prisoner at Durnstein Castle which contravened public law leading to Leopold's excommunication by Pope Celestine III. Subsequently on 28th March 1193 Richard was handed over to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI at Speyer who imprisoned him in Trifels Castle as he felt aggrieved by prior Plantagenet support. Pope Celestine hesitated in excommunicating H.R.E. Henry VI and Richard ended up kept in heavy chains whilst a 150,000 mark ransom was demanded which was up to three times the annual income of the English Crown. Eventually enough money was raised and delivered to Germany and Richard was released on 4th February 1194.
In Richard's absence his brother John had revolted but was forgiven and named as heir in place of Richard's nephew Arthur, and at Winchester on 11th March 1194 King Richard was coronated for a second time to mark his release from captivity. He then began a reconquest of Normandy and concentrated a great deal of time, effort and resources over the next few years building one of the most expensive castles ever constructed 1196-98 Chateau Gaillard costing up to £20,000 (total expenditure on castles in England at this time was £7,000) with fortifications a century ahead of their time. Richard won several victories in France at this period causing Philip of France to flee and the adoption of the motto "Dieu et mon Droit" - literally "God and my Right" still used by monarchy today. However, whilst Richard was suppressing a revolt at Limousin by Viscount Aimar V of Limoges he was hit by a crossbow bolt in the shoulder on 26th March 1199 which turned gangrenous. Richard asked for the bowman to be brought to him, and it turned out to be a young boy (various names are chronicled for him) who claimed that Richard had previously killed his Father and two brothers. Richard chivalrously forgave the boy and set him free with 100 Shillings and then eventually succumbed to the gangrene on 6th April 1199.
Richard married Berengaria of Navarre on 12th May 1191 she having made the journey with Richard's mother Eleanor of Aquitaine to catch him up on the advent of his Third Crusade culminating in her having to be rescued by Richard after running aground on a ship off Cyprus. Richard had to capture the island from Isaac Comnenus the ruler of Cyprus from 1184-91. They subsequently married and she was coronated as Queen of England on the same day by the Archbishop of Bordeaux at the Chapel of St George in Limassol. Berengaria never set foot in England whilst Richard was King though she may visited after his death and she lived on childless until 23rd December 1230 and was said she was owed £4,000 by King John on his death in 1216 in pensions. Richard had one illegitimate son, Philip of Cognac (c.1180 - after 1201) from an unidentified mother.
Richard's heart was buried at Rouen Cathedral, his entrails at Chalus where he died and the rest of his body at Fontevraud Abbey in Anjou.
Provenance:
Ex F. Elmore-Jones, Glendining, 10th April 1984, lot 1506.
Ex North York Moors Collection, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 159, 2rd July 2019, lot 486.
Ex Chislehurst Collection, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 179, 9th September 2020, lot 18.
Ex Collection of an English Doctor part III, Sovereign Rarities fixed price list online August 2022.