Stephen Penny, Flag type, York group, star in field

Stephen (1135-54), silver Penny, York group, flag type, crowned bust right holding flag standard, star in field, linear circle and legend surrounding, +STIEF N E R, rev. cross moline, fleur de lis in each angle, linear circle and legend surrounding, +*PTI*ErS*DN:V:- the N retrograde, weight 1.11g (Mack 217; N.919; S.1313). A well centred strike for issue with an excellent depiction of the King and standard, just a little misshapen at one part of rim, with some blackening from soot presumably the coin was once in a fire perhaps the result of field stubble burning, otherwise a bold very fine and extremely rare.

Dr Martin Allen has recently published a paper in the Numismatic Chronicle, Volume 176, 2016 titled "The York Local Coinage of the Reign of Stephen (1135-54)" where the flag types are listed as phase 3. Dr Allen lists 36 examples of the flag type across 21 different die varieties, and of this total ten are institutionalised. The piece offered here is would seem to be a better fuller example than most that have come up for public sale in the last 15 years and is of good metal with no cracks or splits unlike some that have sold recently.

The symbolism of the flag is meant to represent the "Battle of the Standard" sometimes called the Battle of Northallerton, on the 22^nd August 1138, when the English forces repelled a Scottish army at Cowton Moor near Northallerton.

Provenance:

Found Spalding Lincolnshire, 21^st September 2021, EMC 2021.0274.