Description
Denomination: Silver halfgroat
Period: Tudor
Date: 1526-1532, second coinage
Origin: Canterbury mint
Condition: VF, lovely young portrait but small nick at 5 o’clock
Obverse: Crowned bust of Henry, right, legend around HENRIC VIII DI G R AGL Z FR
Reverse: Long cross over quartered shield of arms, W to left and A to right, legend around CIVI TAS CAN TOR
Size and Weight: 18mm, 1.19g
References: S 2343
Features and Provenance: Ex Essex Coins sale
Born in 1491, Henry Tudor went from a healthy, handsome, sportsman in his youth to totally the opposite, dying at the relatively young age of 55 in 1557. He is well known for his obsession to have a male heir; leading to him marrying six times. Had he been a little more open-minded and changed the law and tradition of agnatic primogeniture (succession by first born male only) to one accepting the first born child, Mary would have taken the throne and things might have been very different. Henry also had an illegitimate son, Henry FitzRoy, whom he made Duke of Richmond. At the time, when no legitimate son was on the horizon, parliament even considered the Second Succession Act which would have allowed FitzRoy to have become king! However, fate intervened and he himself died childless in 1536 putting even more strain on Henry’s need for a son. Thankfully, the following year Edward was born to great celebration, but Henry would never know that his longed-for heir would only reign for six years from the age of nine in 1547; this paving a new royal path for his spurned daughters Mary and then Elizabeth, anyway.
Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between
Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear
Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear, all parts of legend etc present, visible and clear
Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present, but maybe worn
Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible
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