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1/2 Penny - John Second 'DOMinus' Coinage, Kilkenny
| Issuer | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1190-1198 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Penny (1⁄480) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing diademed head of John, Lord of Ireland, rendered in a bold, stylised Romanesque manner characteristic of late 12th-century Anglo-Irish hammered coinage. The effigy is depicted full-face within a beaded inner circle, with annular eyes, a prominent nose, and schematic facial features typical of the period. The hair falls in curls at the sides of the face, and the diadem or crown is suggested by a series of pellets and raised lines across the brow. The surrounding Latin legend, interrupted by a cross pattée at the commencement, reads IOHANN S, abbreviating the issuer's name. The overall design reflects the primitive yet vigorous die-cutting style associated with the Kilkenny mint. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
John held the Lordship of Ireland from 1177 under his father Henry II, and this Kilkenny issue belongs to his second coinage series — distinguished by the DOMINUS legend acknowledging his lordship title rather than any royal claim. Kilkenny was one of a handful of Irish mints operating under John's authority, alongside Dublin, Waterford, and Limerick, each producing coins of notoriously variable weight and die workmanship.
The halfpenny denomination was cut from whole pennies in much of Europe during this period, but John's Irish issues struck fractional denominations outright — an administrative decision that speaks to the genuine demand for small change in Irish commercial life.