Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

Henry I (1100-1135), Penny, Facing Bust, Cross in Quatrefoil/Cross Fleury type mule [BMC IX/X], Gloucester, Sæweald, sapold on glop:, 1.32g/12h (EMC 2018.0376; Allen, BNJ 2012, p.89; N 865/866; S 1270/1271). Nearly very fine or better for issue, excessively rare; one of only two known and this specimen UNIQUE to commerce £1,000-£1,200

Provenance: Found near Bedford September 2018.

This find represents the second Henry I type IX/X mule on record and the only example in private hands. The first specimen, a die duplicate and a seemingly less fine example, is with the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum and was first published by W.J. Andrew in NC 1901, p.72. Being an 18th century collection (William Hunter died in 1783) the Hunterian provenance suggests the initial IX/X mule find to have been at least 236 years ago. It has since been a key numismatic point of reference in piecing together a chronology of Henry I’s coin types. The prevailing chronology, devised by Mark Blackburn in 1990, places type IX at c.1109 with subsequent types VII at c.1111, VIII at c.1113, XI at c.1115 and X at c.1117. This admittedly tentative listing would, therefore, place the current muled dies an incredible four types apart with the (re)use of a decommissioned obverse die that was potentially the best part of ten years old. Type X has been noted by Peter Seaby as one of the most prevalent types of Henry’s middle period, a factor suggested by Marion Archibald as indicating either an extended period of issue or greater minting activity. This apparently careless mule would give weight to the latter explanation perhaps being borne out of the pressure placed upon a minting workforce attempting to meet demands for an increased output of coin. A most interesting and numismatically important coin