Silver short cross penny of John
Plantagenet, struck in the period 1205-1218
John's coinage (1199-1216) showed the king's bust with a sceptre on the obverse and a small cross with four pellets in each quarter on the reverse and was very similar to the previous reigns of Henry II and Richard. Confusingly, in all three reigns the obverse legend reads HENRICUS - Henry. However, the coins of Richard and John can be distinguished from those of their father by slight changes in the portrait of the king, especially in the arrangement of the hair. Fewer mints were active in John's reign possibly because constant improvement in transportation allowed for easier distribution of coins around the country which meant less need for provincial mints. This coin was struck by the moneyer Henri at the Winchester mint.
