Overview:
Henry VII accumulated an enormous wealth and it took Henry VIII many years to squander it. Only when his resources were nearly depleted did Henry VIII seek easy solutions to guarding English coinage against competitive foreign currencies - the debasement of his coinage. Gold was reduced to 0.83 fineness and silver eventually to 0.33 fineness. One major design change was the introduction of the portcullis/rose farthing as a means of differentiating between the farthing and the diminutive halfpenny.
The Hammered Silver Farthings of Henry VIII are very rare - though Paul Withers was surprised at the number of Henry VIII farthings that he saw during the compilation of his guide to Henry VIII farthings. Certainly farthings from the first coinage are known in sufficient numbers they can no longer be classified as 'extremely rare.'
FIRST COINAGE.
- Whitton felt that this coinage "was not struck until 1523, when the new design was prescribed showing the portcullis as the obverse type and the rose on the reverse." ² More recently, Withers places the dates for this type as from 1509-26.
-
Withers states that "of the six specimens seen [with the Type 1a] obverse legend all are struck from different obverse dies and at least five different reverse dies." ³
It has been established that small dies last longer (and therefor can be used to strike a greater quantity of coins) than dies used for large coins. Additionally it was expensive to produce dies, so only as many were produced as were needed. With 6 different obverse dies and only one coin representing each die, this suggests that significant quantities of these farthings were struck - far more than known examples might suggest. What happened to these coins? Were they removed from circulation and melted down during a subsequent recoinage? Or, due to their tiny size, are they simply alluding current metal detection capabilities?
Date: 1509-1526
Mint: London
Type: FIRST COINAGE
Diameter: 8-10mm
Weight: 0.20g (3 grains¹)
Obverse: Initial mintmark of a Portcullis followed by:
hEnRICx DIx GRΛx REX around a Portcullis.
Legend translated:
Henry by the Grace of God
Reverse: CIVITΛS LOnDOn
Rose in center of "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Reference(s):
W. WV 1a
S.2336
N.1781
Scarcity: Very Rare (see note)
Guide Price:
£275 (Fine)
£625 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (Jan. 2005) A poor example of this coin was sold by Mike Vosper for £500. The unusually large portcullis initial mintmark on this coin is from a halfpenny.
- (June '02) A fine example of this coin (0.20g) was sold by Dix Noonan Webb for £320.
- An example of this coin (in the British Museum - ex. JJ North Collection) is in Withers: Small Change V.
Note:
Of the six specimens seen by Withers, each was struck using a
different obverse die and all but one used a different reverse die.
This type of farthing from the First Coinage is the most common of
those produced during the reign of Henry VIII.
Date: 1509-1526
Mint: London
Type: FIRST COINAGE
Diameter: 8-10mm
Weight: 0.20g (3 grains¹)
Obverse: Initial mintmark of a Portcullis followed by:
hEnRIC'x DIx G[---] around a Portcullis.
Legend translated:
Henry by the Grace of God
Reverse: CIVITΛS LOnDOn
Rose in center of "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Reference(s):
W. WV 1b
S.2336
N.1781
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£275 (Fine)
£625 (Very Fine)
Date: 1509-1526
Mint: London
Type: FIRST COINAGE
Diameter: 8-10mm
Weight: 0.20g (3 grains¹)
Obverse: Initial mintmark of a Portcullis followed by:
hEnRICx DIx GRΛx RE around a Portcullis.
Legend translated:
Henry by the Grace of God
Reverse: CIVITΛS LOnDOn
Rose in center of "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Reference(s):
W. WV 1c
S.2336
N.1781
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£275 (Fine)
£625 (Very Fine)
Date: 1509-1526
Mint: London
Type: FIRST COINAGE
Diameter: 8-10mm
Weight: 0.16g (3 grains¹)
Obverse: Initial mintmark of a Portcullis followed by:
hEnRIC' DI GRΛ REX around a Portcullis.
No stops. Legend translated:
Henry by the Grace of God
Reverse: CIVITΛS LOnDOn
Rose in center of "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Reference(s):
W. Unlisted variety
S.2336
N.1781
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£275 (Fine)
£625 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (March 2001) A good very fine example this coin (0.16g) was sold at auction by Spink (15 March 2001: The Roger Shuttlewood Collection of Tudor Silver Coins. Sale 151, Lot 110) for £977.
SECOND COINAGE, or WOLSEY's COINAGE.
- Whitton felt the Type 1 of this coinage seems to have been stuck in contravention of the law of 1523 by " showing on the reverse not a rose but a cross with a pellet in each angle." ² Whether a law was passed to change the look of the coinage or whether there was some other significance is currently unresolved - but certainly Type 2 does conform to the law of 1523.
Important Note:
- Tim Webb Ware, in his article about Henry VIII farthings, makes reference to a unique Henry VIII farthing with a "Rose" mintmark. The coin was in the Norweb Collection and no examples have been found subsequently. This coin was recently sold at DNW auctions and after close inspection it was found to possess a "Lis" mintmark.
There are no Henry VIII farthings with a "Rose" mintmark and this reference should now be removed from any reference books.
Date: 1526-1544
Mint: London
Type: SECOND COINAGE
Diameter: 9mm
Weight: (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: RVTILANSx ROSA around a Portcullis
Legend translated:
A dazzling Rose
Reverse: DEO GRA CI AS
"Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends) with one pellet in each
quarter.
Mint mark: Lis
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 1Ba
S.2362
N.1821
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£300 (Fine)
£650 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (March 2001) A very fine example this coin (0.17g) was sold at auction by Spink (15 March 2001: The Roger Shuttlewood Collection of Tudor Silver Coins. Sale 151, Lot 151) bt. by Colin Cooke for £733.
- A "Very Fine" example of this coin, now owned by Ross Blakey, was sold by Mark Vosper for £750
- (Oct. 2003) An off-struck example of this coin was sold on eBay for £100
- (Jan. 2005) A very fine, but on a ragged flan, example of this coin was sold by TimeLine Originals for £650
- (July 2005) A very fine and well centered example of this coin was sold by Mark Rasumussen for £625
Note:
In 1977 Harris & Purvey (ref. SCMB, No. 703, Dec. 1977, p. 90) stated that there were only "2 known" examples of this type. While more have since been found, there are still few specimens known.
Date: 1526-1544
Mint: London
Type: SECOND COINAGE
Diameter: 9mm
Weight: (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: RVTILANSx ROSAx around a Portcullis
Legend translated:
A dazzling Rose
Reverse: DEO GRA CI AS
"Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends) with one pellet in each
quarter.
Mint mark: Lis
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 1Bb
S.2362
N.1821
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£300 (Fine)
£650 (Very Fine)
Date: 1526-1544
Mint: London
Type: SECOND COINAGE
Diameter: 9mm
Weight: (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: RVTILANS ROSA around a Portcullis
Legend translated:
A dazzling Rose
Reverse: DEO GRA CI AS
"Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends) with one pellet in each
quarter.
Mint mark: Sunburst
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 1Ca
S.2362
N.1821
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£300 (Fine)
£650 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (March 2001) A fine example this coin (0.11g) was sold at auction by Spink (15 March 2001: The Roger Shuttlewood Collection of Tudor Silver Coins. Sale 151, Lot 152) bt. by Colin Cooke for £598.
Date: 1526-1544
Mint: London
Type: SECOND COINAGE
Diameter: 9mm
Weight: (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: RVTILANSx ROSA around a Portcullis
Legend translated:
A dazzling Rose
Reverse: DEO GRA CI AS
Rose on "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Mint mark: Arrow
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 2a
S.2363
N.1821/1
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£400 (Fine)
£850 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (Jan. 2005) A fine example this coin was sold at by Gillis Coins for £675.
Date: 1526-1544
Mint: London
Type: SECOND COINAGE
Diameter: 9mm
Weight: (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: RVTILANS[x?] ROSAx around a Portcullis
Legend translated:
A dazzling Rose
Reverse: DEO GRA CI AS
Rose on "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Mint mark: Arrow
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 2b
S.2363
N.1821/1
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£400 (Fine)
£850 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (March 2001) A good very fine example this coin (0.15g) was sold to Joe Bispham at auction by Spink (15 March 2001: The Roger Shuttlewood Collection of Tudor Silver Coins. Sale 151, Lot 153) for £1035.
Note:
In 2001 Spink stated that there was "only one other recorded"
example (located at the British Museum). The British Museum coin
DOES NOT HAVE punctuation on the obverse legend, and as such, is a
different variety - see Withers Type 2c.
Withers located a third coin
while researching "Small Change V" (pub.
2004) with a third type of obverse legend - see Withers Type 2a.
Date: 1526-1544
Mint: London
Type: SECOND COINAGE
Diameter: 9mm
Weight: (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: RVTILANS ROSA around a Portcullis
Legend translated:
A dazzling Rose
Reverse: DEO GRA CI AS
Rose on "Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends)
Mint mark: Arrow
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 2c
S.2363
N.1821/1
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£400 (Fine)
£850 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- This coin is in the British Museum.
Date: 1544-1547
Mint: London
Type: THIRD COINAGE/POSTHUMOUS COINAGE
Diameter: 8-9mm
Weight: 0.16g (2½ grains¹)
Obverse: hx Dx Gx RVTIL ROSAx around a Rose
Reverse: DEO GR ACI AS
"Long Cross forchee" (bifurcated ends) and pellets
No mintmark.
Legend translated:
By the Grace of God
Reference(s):
W. WV 1a
S.2388A
N. Unlisted
Scarcity: Extremely Rare
Guide Price:
£550 (Fine)
£1200 (Very Fine)
Sold by:
- (March 2001) An extremely fine example this coin (0.16g) was sold at auction by Spink (15 March 2001: The Roger Shuttlewood Collection of Tudor Silver Coins. Sale 151, Lot 185) bt. by Colin Cooke for £1437.
- (June 2006) This coin was sold as part of the Colin Cooke Collection for £2100.
Note:
In 2001 Spink stated that this example was unique.
¹ SEABY, BA. (ed) 1948: Notes on English Silver Coins 1066-1648 to help
collectors in their classification (London, Seaby). pp 87
² WHITTON, CA. 1950-52: 'The Coinage of Henry VIII and Edward VI in
Henry's Name' BNJ 26, p. 56-89, 171-212, 290-332.
³ WITHERS, P & WITHERS, BR. 2004: Small Change V: The Small Silver
of Henry VIII to the Commonwealth. (Galata).
RSS Updates
![[Valid RSS]](../valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")