PREVIEW: THE STEVE GREEN COLLECTION OF ENGLISH COINS PT 1: 22 APRIL

When Henry II took the throne in 1154, bringing to an end almost 20 years of The Anarchy, he replaced the chaotic attrition between his mother, The Empress Matilda, and King Stephen, with a period of relative stability.

He also brought his father’s adopted name, Plantagenet, to the Royal Household of England. Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, had acquired the soubriquet as a result of his fondness for wearing a sprig of broom (Planta genista) in his helmet.

 

The House of Plantagenet was to rule for almost 350 years, ending with the defeat and death of Richard III on Bosworth Field in 1485.

The Steve Green Collection follows that narrative from the beginning of Henry II’s reign (1154-89) to the end of Richard III’s (1483-85), taking in Scottish and Irish rule as it emerged.

With some lots at very accessible estimates, this is an opportunity for newly engaged enthusiasts to acquire the foundations of an interesting collection.

At the top end of expectations comes a Henry IV (1399-1413) Penny from London of the Heavy Coinage, minted up to 1411.

Henry IV was the king to break the direct line of succession when, as Henry Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, he usurped the throne from his cousin Richard II, bringing the House of Lancaster to power.

That abrupt change is reflected in this coin, whose reverse is stamped with the die of Richard II, shown with a star on his breast. With a provenance to the Stewartby Collection, it has weak centres and is a little clipped, but otherwise better than fine and extremely rare. The estimate is £900-1,200.