William The Lion Silver Penny 1165-1214AD Short Cross Phase B

William The Lion Silver Penny 1165-1214AD Short Cross Phase B
17x18mm, 1.15g

The son of Henry of Scotland and brother to Malcolm IV whom he succeeded. The ‘Lion’ title was a posthumous reference given to him on account of his flag or standard, a red lion rampant with a forked tail on a yellow background, which formed the basis of the Royal Banner of Scotland.

A rare TYPE with reverse legend retrograde – ‘SURELIRNEH’ translating to ‘HENRI LE RUS’