ceiniog

{{Short description|Basic currency of the medieval Welsh kingdoms}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Wiktionary}}

The ceiniog ({{langx|la|denarius}}; {{langx|en|penny}}; plural: ceiniogau; prob. from {{wikt-lang|cy|cant}}, "circle") was the basic currency of the medieval Welsh kingdoms such as 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" ({{langx|la|denarius legalis}}; {{langx|cy|ceiniog cyfreith}}) was the weight of 32 wheat grains in silver; the "curt penny" ({{langx|cy|ceiniog cwta}}), the weight of 24 wheat grains. The latter was based on the old Roman pound; the former, Charlemagne's and Offa's.Wade-Evans, Arthur. Welsh Medieval Laws. Oxford Univ., 1909. Accessed 31 Jan 2013. The Welsh half-penny was the dymey of 12 wheat grains (roughly ⅓ the "legal penny")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. and the farthing (quarter-penny) was the firdlyc of 6.Lewis, p. [https://archive.org/stream/glossaryofmediae00lewi#page/150/mode/2up 150].

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.