OBVERSE.--_Type._ No English coins of John are known, but there are abundant proofs that coins were during his reign struck to a considerable extent in England. The supposition, amounting almost to a certainty, is that the “short cross” pennies of Henry II. continued to be struck and issued during this reign as well as in the early part of the next. The Irish coins of John have--_Penny_, full-faced, crowned bust, within a triangle, sceptre in the right hand; on the left of the head a rose. _Halfpenny_ and _Farthing_, head in triangle, on either side a star; one variety of halfpenny, called the “full moon halfpenny,” has the face filling up the whole field of the coin, the inner circle forming the outline of the face. _Legend._ IOHAN. or IOHANNES.--REX or DOM. or DO.--the latter has IOHANNES DOM.; Farthing, WILLEM ON. REVERSE.--_Type._ _Penny_ and _Halfpenny_, within a triangle a crescent, above which is a star or cross. Penny, a star at each point and side of triangle; Halfpenny, star on either side the crescent; Farthing, within a triangle a star; “full moon” halfpenny, a voided cross between four annulets, within inner circle. _Legend_. Mint master’s and town names; as ROBERD ON DIVE., for Robert of Dublin; WILLEM ON LI, or WILLEM ON LIME, for William of Limerick; or WILLEM ON WA, for William, of Waterford. The Farthing has IOHANNES and DW (Dublin) in continuation of obverse. _Rarity._ All very rare, the Farthing more particularly so. HENRY III. (1216 to 1272.) DENOMINATIONS.--_Gold_, Penny. _Silver_, Pennies only. OBVERSE.--_Type._ _Silver Penny._ Full face, crowned in some, without neck or shoulders; on some, on the right of the head (in the legend), a hand holding a sceptre over the head; in some, a mullet or star, in others a crescent and mullet. _Legend._ HERICVS. or HENRICVS.--REX. or REX ANG.--III. TER. or TERCI. The legends of these coins are remarkable for the letters in many instances being conjoined. REVERSE.--_Type._ There are two mintages. The early one (called “short cross pennies”) has a voided cross within the inner circle, and four pellets conjoined in each compartment; but the practice of clipping and filing the moneys had been carried to such an extent, that about 1248 Henry issued a new coinage, called “long cross pennies,” with the same cross, but extending through to the outer edge, thereby rendering any mutilation visible. The cross is a voided or double one, each end terminating in a pellet, and one in the centre; three pellets were now inserted in each compartment instead of four, and not conjoined. _Legend._ Mint master’s and town names; some have TER. or TERCI. added; as, TER. RI ON LVND. in continuation of obverse. One variety reads LIE TERCI LON, being a continuation of HENRICVS REX ANG. of the obverse; this, in full, would be “HENRICVS REX ANGLIE TERCI. LON.” _Rarity._ Not uncommon; those with TERCI. and REX ANG. rare. [Illustration]