Mary & Philip, Debased Silver Irish Groat 1555

Description

Heading: Debased Silver Irish groat – Mary & Philip

Period: Tudor

Date: AD 1555

Origin: Irish mint

Condition: F for type, weak strike areas, notch in edge

Obverse: Facing profile busts, crown above dividing date, all within beaded inner circle, legend around PHILIP Z MARIA D G REX ET REGINA ANG

Reverse: Crowned harp flanked by crowned P and M, within beaded inner circle, mintmark at top, legend around POSVIMVS DEVM ADITOREM NOSTRVM

Size and Weight: 22.5mm, 3.08g

References: S 6501, N 17867

Features and Provenance: The Irish coinage of the Tudors was debased as greatly as that of the English, however there was a brief period of improvement during Mary’s sole reign, but after her marriage and the addition of the portrait of her husband, the fineness of the silver was reduced again. Somewhat confusingly, the Irish groat is the same size as the English sixpence and is sometimes called the sixpenny groat.

Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Henry was initially devoted to his first born but as she grew and his obsession for a son and heir intensified, his attentions drifted to Anne Boleyn. With the birth of Elizabeth, Mary was demoted to lady-in-waiting to her half sister, given the smallest room in the palace and styled Lady Mary instead of Princess. Henry tried to marry her off on multiple occasions but nothing was to materialise. She became Queen in 1553 and married Philip, King of Spain a year later to bolster her Roman Catholic devotion, but he later abandoned her after a phantom pregnancy.

Mary I is not to be confused with the ‘Queen of Scots’ who was the only legitimate child of James V of Scotland.

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