English contemporaries
Part 1: Henry VII, King of England 1485-1509 Henry VIII, King of England 1509-1547 Part 2: Edward VI, King of England 1547-1553 Mary Tudor, Queen of England 1553-1558 |
![]() Tudor double Rose
![]() Sovereign n.d. (1504-07), 4th type. Ø 41 mm, 230 grains (14,9 g). North 1692/1; S.2175, Fr.149 Obv.: (mm. lily) hᗺnRIᗭVS:DᗺI·GRA·RᗺX·ANGL·ᗺT·FRAn·DNS·hIBN' "Henry by the grace of God King of England and France, Lord of Ireland ('Hiberniae')" Crowned King seated on wide gothic throne and holding orb and scepter. Rev.: (mm. dragon) :IhᗺSVS:AVTᗺM:TRANSIᗺnS:PᗺR:MᗺDIVM:ILLORVM:IBAT:·: "But Jesus, passing through the midst of them, went His way" (Lucas 4,30) Arms of England and France in a shield at the center of the Tudor rose surrounded by a polylobe.
![]() Groat, n. d. (1485-90), London. Ø 25 mm, 3,00 g. North 1703; S.2193 Obv.: (mm. halved lis and rose) nᗺnRIᗭ·DI:GRA':RᗺX·ANGL·Z·FRnNᗭ' "Henry by the grace of God King of England and France" Facing bust in an ornated polylobe, open crown without arches. Rev.: (mm. halved lis and rose) POSVI· - DᗺVᙏ·A - DIVTOR - ᗺ·ᙏᗺVᙏ Posui Deum Adiutorem Meum = "I have made God my helper" Inner circle: :ᗭIVI - TAS: - :LOn - DOn: (City of London, name of the mint) Long cross with three pellets in each angle.
![]() Groat, n. d. (1490-1504), London. Ø 25 mm, 3,01 g. North 1705a; S.2198a Obv.: (mm. escallop) hᗺnRIᗭ·DI·GRA·RᗺX·ANGL·Z·FRAnᗭ' Crowned head facing in a polylobe, crown with two arches and orb on top. Rev.: (mm. escallop) POSVI· - DᗺVM·A - DIVTOR - ᗺ·MᗺVM Inner circle: :CIVI - TAS: - :LOn - DOn: (City London, name of the mint) Long cross with three pellets in each angle, as before.
![]() Groat n. d. (1507-09), London. Ø 25 mm, 2,69 g. North 1747; S.2258 Obv.: (mm. pheon) hᗺnRIᗭ·VII·DI·GRA·RᗺX·AGL·Z·F Crowned head in profile to the right, crown with arch and orb. Rev.: (mm. pheon) POSVI· - DᗺV·A - DIVTOR - ᗺ'·ᙏᗺV Arms of England/France on long cross. This is the first English coin showing a king's life-like portrait. It was minted at the Tower mint in London.
Compare with the oil painting from 1505 ![]()
![]() Penny n. d. (1484-94), Durham. Ø 16 mm, 0,704 g. North 1730; S.2231 Obv.: hᗺNRIᗭ DI GRA RᗺX - King seated on throne, facing, with sceptre and orb. Rev.: ᗭIVI - TAS - DIR - hAᙏ - Arms (England/France) om long cross between D - S
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1st Coinage 1509-26 with the profile of the father ![]() Groat, n. d. (1st Coinage, 1509-26), Tower (London). Ø 26 mm, ca. 2,7 g. S.2316 Obv.: (mm.) hᗺnRIᗭ⨯VIII(!)⨯DI'⨯GRA'⨯RᗺX⨯AGL'⨯Z⨯FRA' "Henry VIII by the grace of God King of England ('Anglia') and France" The third 'I' in 'VIII' of the legend is constrained and reduced. Crowned profile to the right of Henry VII, father and predecessor, an orb on the crown. The mintmark, a crowned portcullis, refers to the Tower mint, London. Rev.: (mm.) POSVI - DᗺV'm:A - DIVTOR - E':ᙏᗺVm "I have made God my Helper" Long cross behind royal coat of arms with three French lilies and three English lions. Compare details of the design with the groat of Henry VII
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![]() Groat (gros à la tête), n. d. (1513-17), Tournai. Ø 27 mm, 2,80 g. S.2317 Obv.: (mm. of Tournai) hᗺnRIᗭ'⨯DI'⨯GRA⨯REX⨯FRANC'⨯Z⨯AGLIE⨯ Rev.: (mm.) CIVI - TAS⁑ - ⁑TORN - AᗭᗺN' "city of Tournai"
2nd Coinage 1526-44 with the own profile ![]() Groat n. d. (1526-29), London. Ø ca.25 mm, ca.2,6 g. North 1797; S.2337D Obv.: (mm. rose) hᗺnRIᗭ9⨯VIII9⨯ DI'⨯G'⨯R⨯AGL'⨯Z⨯FRAᗭ - effigy of Henry VIII Rev.: (mm. rose) POSVI - DᗺV':'A - DIVTOR - ᗺ':ᙏᗺV' - as before.
![]() ![]() Groat n. d. (1526-29), London. mm. rose Ø 25 mm, 2,58 g. North 1797; S.2337E Very similar to the coin before, an impressive portrait of Henry with a Roman nose.
![]() Groat n. d. (shortly before 1530), York. Ø 25 mm. North 1799; S.2339. similar to the coin above, but with a special reverse Rs.: CIVI - TAS - EBO - RACI "city of York" Coat of arms between the initials T - W for Thomas Wolsey, archbishop of York; cardinal's hat below the arms.
![]() Stuck silver medal 1545 by H. Basse (or Bayse), on the head of the "Church of England and Ireland". Ø 51 mm, 54,67 g. Eimer 26a (this piece) G.F. Hill, "The medal of Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church" NC 1916 (pp 194-195). Obv.: +HENRICVS·OCTA· - ANGLIÆ·FRAN - CI·ET·HIB·REX·FI - DEI·DIFENSOR·ET· / IN·TERR·ECCLE - ·ANGLI·ET·HI - BE·SVB·CHRIST·CA - PVT·SVPREMVM "Henry VIII, King of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, and under Christ the supreme head on earth of the Church of England and Ireland" Bust to right, wearing a jeweled cap, an ermine robe and a collar of jewels around his neck; around, inscription in two concentric circles divided by the crowned royal badges of the Rose (above), the Portculis (to right), the Fleur-de-lis (below) and the Harp (to left). Rev.: 11 lines of writing in Hebrew and Greek (translations of the obv. legend), above H R, below ·Londini·1545·. Look at the Specimen in gold (on a broader blanket Ø 54 mm) in the British Museum
![]() Considered the first true English medal.
3rd Coinage 1544-47: full face on debased issues ![]() ![]() Groat, n.d. (3rd Coinage, 1544-47), Tower. Ø 25 mm, 2,46 g. North 1844; S.2369 Obv.: (mm. lily) hᗺNRIᗭ9.8:D.G.RᗺX.ANGLIA Z FRANᗭ - impressive three-quarter-face portrait Rev.: (mm. lily) POSVI - DᗺVm·A - DIVTOR - ᗺm:MᗺVm "I have made God my helper"
![]() ![]() Testoon n. d. (3rd Coinage, 1544-47), Tower. Ø ca.31 mm, 6,99 g. North 1841; S.2364 Obv.: (mm. lily) hᗺnRIᗭ'·VIII'·DI·GRA·AGL'·FRA'·Z·HIB'·RᗺX crowned bearded bust, full-face, crown with arch and orb. Rev.: (mm. lily) POSVI:DᗺVM·ADIVTORIVM:MᗺVM Here the motto is not abbreviated. crowned Tudor rose with crowned h and crowned R at the sides.
![]() Sovereign n. d. (1538-41), London. Ø 41 mm, 15,4 g. North 1782; S.2267; Friedb.157 Obv.: (mm. lily) hᗺnRIᗭVS:DᗺI:GRAᗭIA:REX - AnGLIᗺ:ᗺT:FRANCiae:DominuS:hIBernia Seated king holding orb and scepter; portcullis under the feet. Rev.: (mm. arrow) IhᗺSVS:AVTᗺM:TRANSIᗺnS:PᗺR:MᗺDIVM:ILLORVM:IBAT "But Jesus passing through their midst went His way" (Lucas 4,30) Royal shield in the center of the Tudor rose surrounded by ornaments and a polylobe.
![]() Sovereign n. d. (1544-47, 3rd coinage), Southwark. Ø 39 mm, 12,11 g. North 1825; S.2291; Friedb.166. Obv.: (mm. S) hEnRIᗭ':8:DeI:GRA:AGL' - FRAnᗭIE:Z:hIBERn:REX "Henry the Eighth by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland" Bearded King en face, seated on a throne with curved sides, holding orb and scepter, a rose at the feet. Die break at 3 h on the obverse rim. Rev.: (mm. S) IhesuS.AVTEM:TRAnSIEnS:PER MEDIVM:ILLORum:IBAT Crowned shield with crowned lion and dragon as supporters, HR in cartouche below.
Posthumous coins ![]() 6 Pence n. d. (1547-50), Dublin. Ø 25 mm, 2,70 g. Dowle/Finn 214; S.6486. Obv.: HENRIC 8 D' G' AGL FRAN [...]EX - Crowned bust nearly facing. Rev.: CIVI - TAS - DVB - LINIE "City of Dublin" - Shield on long cross.
![]() Penny n. d. (1547-51), Canterbury. Ø 15 mm ?, 0,70 g. North 1887; S.2422. Obv.: h D G.ROSA.SINE.SPINA "Henry, by the grace of God, a rose without a thorn" Bearded and crowned bust facing. Rev.: CIVI - TAS - CAN - TOR "City of Canterbury" - Shield over long cross fourchée. The cross with bifurcated ends (see above) is known as 'cross fourchée' or 'fitchée',
in contrast to the cross with blunt ends (see below) 'cross pattée'.
![]() Halfpenny n. d. (1547-51), Tower. Ø 10 mm, 0,35 g. North 1889; S.2426. h D G ROSA SINE SPINA // CIVI - TAS - LON - DON without mintmark, medieval design but Roman lettering. Summary : six pictures and no words |
Ref.:
• North, Jeffrey J.: English Hammered Coinage, vol.II (Edward I to Charles II., 1272-1662), London 3rd ed. 1991 extract (p.16-19): History: Tudors Coinage ![]() • Seaby et al.: Standard Catalogue of British Coins - England and UK, 33. ed. 1997 Spink London • TreasureRealm, Edward Hawkins (1841): Silver Coins of England ![]() • TreasureRealm, Robert Kenyon (1884): Gold Coins of England ![]() • Tony Clayton: Coins of England and UK ![]() • Paul Shields website: Mintmarks ![]() ![]() • Christopher E. Challis: The Tudor coinage [administrative and institutional history], 1978 • Herbert A. Grueber: Handbook of the Coins of Great Britain and Ireland in the British Museum, London 1899. Full text and 64 tables: archive.org ![]() ![]() |
Part 2:
Edward VI, King of England 1547-1553 Mary Tudor, Queen of England 1553-1558 |