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PLANTAGENET. temp. Henry III–Edward I. Circa 1250-1307. Pewter Token (16mm, 0.74 g). Main Pictorial series. Manufactured in or around London. Bishop seated facing, holding croizer in left hand and raising right in benediction / Rose cross with eight petals. Mitchiner & Skinner D5. Minor area of corrosion. VF. Rare.
Likely utilized during pilgrimages in the medieval period in England, these ecclesiastic tokens played a vital role in facilitating the daily requirements necessary for peasant pilgrims. Following the murder of Thomas Beckett in 1170, the growth of pilgrimages increased dramatically, and the overwhelming majority of those who took part in these religious events belonged to the peasant class, for whom a fortunate day’s wage could be a penny–the lowest denomination circulating in England at the time. As the activities inherent to these pilgrimages involved numerous menial costs, such as food and shelter, the churches themselves acted as the manufacturer and acceptor of this subsidiary payment system, whereby smaller ‘change’ could be made with these tokens, which could then be used for the various things offered during the pilgrimages.
Closing Date and Time: 22 February 2023 at 14:14:20 ET.
All winning bids are subject to an 20% buyer’s fee.
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