Worn silver short cross penny of Henry III, Canterbury mint

What it is

This is a photograph of a very worn silver coin of Henry III, shown on both obverse and reverse. The coin is probably class 7b and is dated to around 1222 to 1236. Its surfaces are heavily worn, and only faint traces of a short cross and lettering can be seen. The photographs were taken by Clive Nobbs and shared on Wikimedia Commons. The coin itself is not held in this archive.

Why it matters

Short cross pennies were the money used in England during much of Henry III's long reign. Henry III was the king who reissued the Magna Carta charter, so his coins link everyday exchange with the political history of the charter. Worn coins like this one show how money passed through many hands over time, and how much of the detail that once told a story has been lost.

Look closer

• What can you still see on the coin, and what has been worn away?
• Why might a coin wear down so much, and what does that say about how it was used?
• What does a damaged object leave out that a clear coin would show?