1141 Penny – Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda, Matilda of England or Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. Her 'reign' was 8 April 1141 until 1148.

Matilda was born 7 February 1102 in Winchester or Sutton Courtenay (Oxfordshire, England) to Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland. She was married to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1114–1125) and then Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou (m. 1128–1151).

Her father (Henry I) had promised her the throne of England and on his death Matilda came to England (from France) to make a claim, by force if necessary. There were several battles but eventually Matilda went back to France and her son became King Henry II. Matilda was never crowned Queen and died in Rouen, France on 10 September 1167 aged 65.

The coins of this period are generally rare and expensive. Some were minted by Matilda, others by other Dukes of the Angevin Empire aristocracy, which are those connected to French Kings that owned land in England.
The Penny is one of the most famous British coins. The coin itself has been around since 600AD and at various times has been struck in silver, copper and bronze. Originally split into halfpennies and farthing, it is now itself the least denomination coin currently in circulation. Made from copper (actually copper plated steel).

Originally there were 12 pennies in one shilling and 240 pennies in £1; since decimalisation in 1973 there are 100 new pence in one pound.

Specifications of the Penny

• Diameter: (Bronze) 31 mm (since 1860)
• Edge: Plain
• Composition:
  • (1707–1796) Silver
  • (1797–1859) Copper
  • (1860–1970) Bronze
• Years: 1707–1970

Not all mints are located in a single place. From the Roman days through to the middle ages it was easier to have local moneyers (trusted people who were allowed to mint coins) rather than make the coins centrally and then have the security and logistics problem of distribution.

There were often dozens of mints, sometimes all making the same coin. The variations and mintmarks are exciting for numismatists, although sometimes it takes an expert to analyse them.

Most English Provincial Mints began to close after 1279 when the Royal Mint opened The Tower Mint (called so as it was housed at the Tower of London), although some continued working for much longer. The central mint gave the King and the Master of the Royal Mint much more control over the production and quality of English coinage.
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.