View source for Ceiniog

{{Short description|Basic currency of the medieval Welsh kingdoms}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Wiktionary}}
The '''ceiniog''' ({{lang-la|denarius}}; {{lang-en|penny}}; plural: ''ceiniogau''; prob. from {{wikt-lang|cy|cant}}, "circle") was the basic [[currency]] of the medieval [[Welsh kingdoms]] such as [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]] and [[Deheubarth]]. [[Hywel Dda]] was the only ruler recorded as minting his own proper coins; however, the ceiniog was not a coin but a value of silver. The "legal penny" ({{lang-la|denarius legalis}}; {{lang-cy|ceiniog cyfreith}}) was the weight of 32 wheat grains in silver; the "curt penny" ({{lang-cy|ceiniog cwta}}), the weight of 24 wheat grains. The latter was based on the old [[Roman pound]]; the former, [[livre esterlin|Charlemagne's]] and [[Anglo-Saxon pound|Offa's]].<ref>[[Wade-Evans, Arthur]]. ''[[s:Page:Welsh Medieval Law.djvu/432|Welsh Medieval Laws]]''. Oxford Univ., 1909. Accessed 31 Jan 2013.</ref> The Welsh half-penny was the '''dymey''' of 12 wheat grains (roughly ⅓ the "legal penny")<ref name=lewis>Lewis, Timothy. ''[https://archive.org/stream/glossaryofmediae00lewi#page/130/mode/2up A glossary of mediaeval Welsh law, based upon the Black book of Chirk]''. Univ. Press (Manchester), 1913.</ref> and the farthing (quarter-penny) was the '''firdlyc''' of 6.<ref>Lewis, p. [https://archive.org/stream/glossaryofmediae00lewi#page/150/mode/2up 150].</ref>

Since the value in ceiniogau of most common goods and animals were regulated by the [[Laws of Hywel Dda]], the system also simplified [[barter]] in Wales.

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[[Category:Medieval currencies]]


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