Identifying medieval hammered coins

Thin silver pennies struck by hand between two dies.

Hammered coins are thin, slightly irregular discs — a crowned facing bust on one side, a cross on the other is the classic English penny layout, and the long cross conveniently divides the reverse legend into four quarters. Continental deniers and groats follow similar logic with regional twists.

The legends name the ruler on the obverse and, on many series, the mint and moneyer on the reverse — CIVITAS LONDON places a coin instantly. Off-centre strikes, flat patches, and creases are ordinary; medieval users also clipped silver from the edges, and cut halves and quarters circulated as small change.

A crisp, round, shiny 'hammered' coin should raise suspicion — many tourist replicas exist, often in the wrong metal and weight. Weigh it (a full English penny runs roughly 1–1.5 g depending on period), read what letters survive, and photograph both faces square-on.

From the guide library inside Collectors Catalogues, a free app for cataloguing antiques and finds with honest, museum-grade records.

More on coins

Identifying coins — Portrait, legend, and strike.

Identifying tokens and jettons — Not quite coins.

Identifying Roman silver coins — Denarii, antoniniani, and siliquae — and how to tell them apart.

Identifying Roman bronze coins — From heavy sestertii to tiny late-Roman nummi.

Identifying Greek coins — City badges, gods, and fabric — reading coins struck before Rome ruled.

Identifying Celtic coins — Abstract horses, wreaths, and heads — coinage reimagined by Iron Age artists.

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