Kingdom of England, Harold I, Penny

By the year 1000, England had a remarkably well organized coinage system. The coins in circulation were withdrawn at average intervals of about six years, and replaced by new ones. There were some 60 mints all over the land, in which those coins were struck. The dies were sometimes made in regional centers, sometimes in a single one, and then distributed throughout the country. The obverse of the coins always bore the bust of the king and his name and title. The reverse showed the name of the moneyer, the place of mint and a cross. The inscription on this penny names King Harold (1037-1040) as minting authority. The moneyer was a man called Arcil, and the coin was struck in Stamford.