Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifactc.1222-c.1236

Silver short cross penny of Henry III, London mint

c.1222-c.1236

A medieval silver penny of Henry III, minted in London around 1222 to 1236. Henry III reissued the Magna Carta in 1216 and 1225.

A coin of Henry III, the king who reissued the Magna Carta in 1216 and 1225, showing the royal money of the charter's afterlife.

Ask Magna Carta about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Two silver-grey medieval coins photographed side by side on a white background with black and white scale bars marked in cms. Each coin shows a worn short cross design with pellets and lettering around the rim.
Medieval silver penny of Henry III, short cross class 7b, minted at London by Ledulf, c.1222-c.1236. Photograph by Geoff West-Osborn.

About this source

What it is

This is a medieval silver penny of King Henry III, a short cross coin of class 7b, minted in London by a moneyer named Ledulf. The record dates it to around 1222 to 1236. The image shows two coins side by side on a white background, with scale bars in centimetres. Each coin has a worn short cross design with pellets and lettering around the rim.

Why it matters

Henry III came to the throne as a child after his father John's death, and he reissued the Magna Carta in 1216 and again in 1225. This coin shows the royal money of his reign, which followed directly from the crisis that produced the charter. Comparing it with coins of John's reign lets students see how the monarchy and its money continued after 1215.

Look closer

  • What similarities and differences can you see between the two coins?
  • Why might a new king keep the same kind of coin design as his predecessor?
  • What does a coin tell us about Henry III that his reissued charter does not?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Magna Carta on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Magna Carta sources

Meet the AI Magna Carta →
Photograph of the 1215 Magna Carta parchment, a dense page of handwritten medieval Latin in brownish ink with line breaks and a small marginal number at top left.Document

Primary source

Magna Carta (1215 Exemplification)

1215

Photograph of a round brown wax seal impression with a raised equestrian figure of a rider on horseback, attached by a cream parchment tag with two long tails hanging from its base. A faint inscription appears around the edge.Document

Primary source

Articles of the Barons

1215

Photograph of a medieval parchment charter covered in dense brown-black handwritten Latin text in columns, with a dark green wax seal on a tan cord at the bottom showing a seated mounted knight. This is the 1225 Charter of the Forest.Document

Primary source

Charter of the Forest

1217

Photograph of a large medieval parchment document covered in handwritten Latin text in brown ink, with a red wax seal hanging on a strip of parchment tabs at the bottom. Several small holes and tears are visible along the edges.Document

Primary source

Magna Carta 1297 (National Archives, Washington)

Edward I of England · 1297

A parchment document with a dangling wax seal, displayed under glass in a wooden frame inside a case with wood-paneled walls. The seal hangs from the lower edge of the document.Document

Primary source

Magna Carta 1297 (Parliament House, Canberra)

Edward I of England · 1297

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Magna Carta now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions