Henry VII., 1485 to 1509.
Second Coinage
The second coinage of Henry VII. consisted of groats, half-groats, pennies and halfpennies. It differs,
upon the obverse, from his own and his predecessor's money in having the crown arched and the face
something more like a portrait; the reverse is much the same as before, except that the workmanship
is improved, and the ends of the cross generally forked and decorated. All the coinage of this reign
were of the weight established in the fourth of Edward IV. namely 12 grains to the penny.
Groats: all struck in London, HENRIC DI GRA REX AGL, ANG, ANGL, ANGLI, ANGLIE Z F. FR. FRA. FRANC
or FRANCI, on the reverse the final M is generally omitted in each word of the exterior legend. The
mint marks are 1. Greyhound's head. Rud. vi. 2. (373). 2. Anchor. Rud. vi. 1. 3. Escallop, f. 3, rosette
between each word of legend on obverse, one in each fork of the cross, two before and one after
LONDON, one after CIVITAS. MB. No rosette in the forks, two before CIVITAS, one before
LONDON. MB. Rosette between each word, at end of legend in obverse and in the spandrils of
the tressure, one after DEVM, two before and after LONDON, two before and after CIVITAS, none in
the forks of the cross, the form of the E. peculiar. MB. (372). Very similar, same form of E. but
no rosettes in spandrils. MB. 4. Cross crosslet, Rud. vi. 4. 5. Very small trefoil on reverse.
MB. 6. Trefoil or half a lis issuing from half a rose. (381), MM. reverse, heraldic cinquefoil.
MB. 7. Heraldic cinquefoil. (380). 8. Cinquefoil f. 6. The MB. specimen reads FR and has
the cinquefoil pierced. (379). 9. Leopard's head crowned. Rud. Sup. iii. 34. The two last sometimes
appear upon the same coin. Sn. ii. 47. On some of the small trefoil coins there is a cross at the side of
the neck. (371). Rud. vi. 5, had probably the small trefoil MM. it only occurs on reverses, and the
obverse only is there engraved. The groat with the cross crosslet mint mark, and some of those with
the greyhound's head, had the crown with a single arch, and are rather rare. (373). There is one groat
which varies from all the others in omitting the pellets and substituting a large portcullis upon the
centre of the cross. MM. on Rev. lis. Rud. Sup. 2. xvi. 16. Mr. Dimsdale's was purchased for Mr.
Thomas in 1824, probably unique.
Half-groats were struck in London, Canterbury and York, the king's titles being similar but generally
shorter than on the groats.
London: MM. on both sides lis. HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGLI Z FR. rosette between every word, also on
the reverse after Devm and ADIVTOE, cross fourchee, with lozenge in the centre inclosing pellet.
MB. (374.) This clearly resembles the rosy half-groat with open crown, without MM. Rud. vi. 7.
we have not seen, nor Sn. ii. 46. which we have no doubt is a blundered representation of a
Canterbury coin.
Canterbury: MM. none, cross at each side of neck. Rev. the cross patee, M on the centre, eye of
Providence (382). after POSVI. very closely resembling the open crown half-groat, MB. See
Rud. Sup. iii. 35. where the small crosses, and eye are omitted, perhaps accidentally; we have not seen
such a coin. MM. Ton, the cross fourchee, no M or eye. MB. Rud. vi. 8. Sometimes a cinquefoil
is with the ton on the obverse. MB. Rud. Sup. iv. 1. MM. obverse ton. rosette between each
word. Rev. MM. lis. rosette before ADIVTORE and MEV. after CIVITAS. two small dots before and
after CANTOR. MB. Rud. Sup. iv. 5.* One without the dots reads CASTOR. MB. MM.
Obverse ton and lis rosette between each word, at end of legend of obverse and outer legend of
reverse. MB. MM. obverse lis? trefoils instead of rosettes between each word. Rev. MM. lis.
rosette before ADIVTORE and MEV, two before CIVITAS and before CANTOR.
York: MM. Martlet; key at each side of neck. (375). Rud. vi. 10. Sn. ii. 45. We have not seen one with a
cross upon the king's breast, distinct from the ornament of the tressure; as Rud. vi. 9. Some are
without the tressure of arches round the head, Rud. Sup. iv. 3. and of these some commence the
outer legend on the reverse over CIVITAS. MB. some over EBORACI. MB.
The pennies of this coinage appear to have been struck at Canterbury alone, and are extremely rare.
The legend omits the name of France. The cross is forked. MM. on both sides a ton. (376).
MB. Rud. Sup. iv. 2.
Halfpence of this coinage are also extremely rare, but occur of London, Canterbury and York.
London: MM. lis. H. D. G. REX ANGLIE Z FRA. Rud. Sup. iv. 10. Sn. iii. 4. CUFF. MB. another, but
legend not satisfactorily legible. Rud. Sup. iv. 9. copied from Sn. ii. 44. has the open crown; but we
suspect this to be an error, occasioned by the arch upon the specimen copied not being sufficiently
visible.
Canterbury: HENRIC DI GRA REX A or AN. MM. none. Rev. E. J. SHEPHERD. MM. lis.
CUFF. MM. lis on both sides, rosettes between the words of the legend on obverse. (378).
MB.
York: like those of Canterbury. MM. doubtful, under the bust a key. (377). MB. Rud. vi. 26.
MM. cross voided. MB.
Farthing: Mr. Cuff has one, but no MM. or legend is perceptible. Sn. ii. 43.
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Henry VII, Third Coinage
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