DENOMINATIONS.--_Silver._ Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings.
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.