The coins of William the Conqueror and his son William Rufus cannot, with any degree of certainty, be distinguished the one from the other; their appropriation is therefore purely conjectural.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies only.
Obverse.—Type. Crowned bust, sometimes full-faced, at others in dexter or sinister profile; on some the shoulders and arm extending to the edge of the coin, on others the whole confined within the inner circle; sometimes with tassel, or pendant, hanging from the crown on either side (“bonnet” type), or with a canopy over the head (“canopy” type). On one or both sides of the bust is generally a sceptre, or star; or sceptre on one side and star on the other; or sword. Those usually ascribed to the first William are those with the sceptres only; the others are attributed to William II. But this is entirely supposititious.
Legend. PILEM. [1] PILELM. PILLEM. PILLELM. PILEMV. PILLEMV.PILLEMVS, etc.— R. or REX.— A. AN. ANG. ANGL. ANGLO. ANGLOR., etc.
Reverse.—Type. Crosses in considerable variety, including fleury, battonée, annulæ, voided, etc.; others terminating in pellets, knots, etc.; cross and saltire; cross and lozenge; cross and annulets, etc. One type of common occurrence has, in circles between the limbs of the cross, the letters P A X S. In all cases the device is confined within the inner circle.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names, as GODPINE ON LIN, which signifies that it was struck by Godwine of Lincoln; SIPORD ON PINC, by Siward of Winchester; ESBRN ON SERBR, by Osbern of Salisbury; SIBODE ON LVNDEN; and so on. About sixty or seventy different places of mintage are known.
Rarity. Some scarce; those with the canopy over the head exceedingly so. Those with P A X S are common.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies only.
Obverse.—Type. Crowned bust, sometimes full-faced, at others three-quarter faced, or in dexter or sinister profile; generally with a sceptre in the right hand, sometimes one, two, or three stars, or a rose before the face. In some instances the figure is half length and full robed, showing right hand holding sceptre, and left extended. There are many varieties.
Legend. H. HNRI. HNRE. HENRI. HENRIE. HENRIC. HNRICVS. or HENRICVS.—R. RE. or REX.—A. AN. ANG. or ANGL.
Reverse.—Type. Crosses of the same general character as those of previous monarchs; quatrefoils with crosses, pellets, bezants, roses, etc., in them; others the letters P A X, bars and annulets.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names. About eighty moneyers’ names are known. One example has the legend in two circles.
Rarity. All rare; some types extremely so.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies only.
Obverse.—Type. Crowned bust, sometimes almost full-faced, but generally in dexter profile; sceptre, mace, lance, or flag in the right hand. On one are two figures, variously surmised to be Stephen and Henry, and Stephen and Matilda, represented standing side by side, hand clasped in hand, and between them a sceptre.
Legend. S. STE. STEF. STEFN. STIFN. STIEN. STEFNE. STEIFNE. STIEFEN. STIEFNEI. STIFNE. STEFENERE. STEP. STEPHENI. STEFANVS, or STEPHANVS.—R. or REX.
Reverse.—Type. Crosses, etc., in great variety, all within the inner circle; some have the space usually allotted to the legend filled with various little devices, as roses, escallops, etc.; the Stephen and Henry (or Matilda) is of this kind. One example, struck at Derby, has within the inner circle a double cross, between the limbs of which are four martlets.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names, of which there are many varieties.
Rarity. All very rare. The Stephen and Henry (or Matilda) at Tyssen’s sale, in 1802, brought ten guineas, and at Dimsdale’s, in 1824, thirteen pounds two shillings and sixpence, and later, much higher prices.
Other coins bear the name of Eustace, son of Stephen (EVSTACIVS. EISTCHIVS, etc.); Matilda (MA[T]ILD[A] IM[PERATRIX], etc.); William, second son of Stephen (WILLELMVS. LVI—LLEM DVD); Earl of Warwick; Robert Earl of Gloucester; and Henry Bishop of Winchester (HENRICVS EPC.); all rare.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies only.
Obverse.—Type. Crowned bust, full-faced or profile; sceptre in his right hand, generally held upright, but on some leaned on the shoulder. In one instance, with three stars before the face.
Legend. HENRI.—R. RE. or REX.—A. AN. ANG. or ANGL.
Reverse.—Type. Cross patée, with four small ones, one in each quarter; all within the inner circle.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names; as, WALTER ON LV. (Walter of London), IOHAN ON LUNDEN (John of London), and so on.
Rarity. All rare.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies and Halfpennies.
Obverse.—Type. The only coins known of this monarch are those struck at Poictou and Aquitaine; they have no bust, merely a plain cross patée. No English examples have as yet been discovered; the Evesham ones, etc., were forged by White.
Legend. RICARDVS.—RE. or REX.
Reverse.—In three lines across the coin—
or ACVITAINE. No device.
Rarity. Extremely rare.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings.
Obverse.—Type. No English coins of John are known, but there are abundant proofs that coins were during his reign struck to a considerable extent in England. The supposition, amounting almost to a certainty, is that the “short cross” pennies of Henry II. continued to be struck and issued during this reign as well as in the early part of the next. The Irish coins of John have—Penny, full-faced, crowned bust, within a triangle, sceptre in the right hand; on the left of the head a rose. Halfpenny and Farthing, head in triangle, on either side a star; one variety of halfpenny, called the “full moon halfpenny,” has the face filling up the whole field of the coin, the inner circle forming the outline of the face.
Legend. IOHAN. or IOHANNES.—REX or DOM. or DO.—the latter has IOHANNES DOM.; Farthing, WILLEM ON.
Reverse.—Type. Penny and Halfpenny, within a triangle a crescent, above which is a star or cross. Penny, a star at each point and side of triangle; Halfpenny, star on either side the crescent; Farthing, within a triangle a star; “full moon” halfpenny, a voided cross between four annulets, within inner circle.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names; as ROBERD ON DIVE., for Robert of Dublin; WILLEM ON LI, or WILLEM ON LIME, for William of Limerick; or WILLEM ON WA, for William, of Waterford. The Farthing has IOHANNES and DW (Dublin) in continuation of obverse.
Rarity. All very rare, the Farthing more particularly so.
Denominations.—Gold, Penny. Silver, Pennies only.
Obverse.—Type. Silver Penny. Full face, crowned in some, without neck or shoulders; on some, on the right of the head (in the legend), a hand holding a sceptre over the head; in some, a mullet or star, in others a crescent and mullet.
Legend. HERICVS. or HENRICVS.—REX. or REX ANG.—III. TER. or TERCI. The legends of these coins are remarkable for the letters in many instances being conjoined.
Reverse.—Type. There are two mintages. The early one (called “short cross pennies”) has a voided cross within the inner circle, and four pellets conjoined in each compartment; but the practice of clipping and filing the moneys had been carried to such an extent, that about 1248 Henry issued a new coinage, called “long cross pennies,” with the same cross, but extending through to the outer edge, thereby rendering any mutilation visible. The cross is a voided or double one, each end terminating in a pellet, and one in the centre; three pellets were now inserted in each compartment instead of four, and not conjoined.
Legend. Mint master’s and town names; some have TER. or TERCI. added; as, TER. RI ON LVND. in continuation of obverse. One variety reads LIE TERCI LON, being a continuation of HENRICVS REX ANG. of the obverse; this, in full, would be “HENRICVS REX ANGLIE TERCI. LON.”
Rarity. Not uncommon; those with TERCI. and REX ANG. rare.
Gold. The Gold Penny of Henry III. was the first gold coin struck by any English monarch; it is therefore important as marking a new era in numismatics. The weight is forty-five grains, and it is of pure, unalloyed gold. On the obverse is a full length robed and crowned figure of the king seated on a throne or chair of state, with sceptre in right hand, and orb and cross in the left. Legend HENRIC REX III. Reverse, a long double or voided cross and pellets, a rose between the pellets in each compartment. This coin has fetched at sales as much as £140.
From this time till Edward III., no other gold coins were struck by English monarchs.
Denominations.—Silver. Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing.
Obverse.—Type. Crowned full-faced bust of the king, with neck and part of the shoulders draped; crown, consisting of three fleurs-de-lis, and two lozenges, balls, or points; beneath the rim of the crown, on the forehead, is a row of from one to five pearls; the hair, which is very abundant, stands out a considerable distance on either side the face, and curled; the whole within the inner circle. The Irish mintages are distinguished by having the head in a triangle, the legend running on its three sides; there are one or two specimens of English coins with the triangle, but they are very rare.
Legend. E. EDW. [EDWA. EDWAR. EDWARD. EDWARDVS.]—R. REX. or D.G.R.—A. AN. ANG or ANGL.—D.H. or DNS HYB. There are many opinions respecting the Pennies of the first three Edwards. The one most generally received is, that those with the name contracted to EDW. belong to Edward I.; those with the name in full EDWARD, to Edward III.; and the intermediate varieties to Edward II. It remains still, however, a vexed question, and one not easy of solution.
Reverse.—Type. A plain cross, with its terminations enlarged, extending through to the outer edge of the coin and dividing the legend into four parts; three pellets in each compartment within the inner circle.
Legend. In every instance except one, which has a moneyer’s name, ROBERTVS DE HADL., or ROBERT DE HADELIE, consists of the name of the city or town where struck; as, CIVITAS LONDON. VILL BEREWICI. VILLA BRISTOLLIE. CIVITAS EBORACI. CIVITAS CANTOR. CIVITAS DVREME. CIVITAS LINCOL. VILL SCI EDMVNDI. CIVITAS CESTRIE. CIVITAS EXONIE. VIL NOVI CASTRI. VILL KYNGESTON, etc.
Rarity. Pennies common, with the exception of a few mintages. The Halfpenny and Farthing very rare, the Farthing particularly so.
Denominations.—Silver. Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings.
As I have just remarked, the coins bearing intermediate abbreviations of the king’s name, between EDW. and EDWARD, are, more for convenience than by right, appropriated to this monarch. The description just given will therefore apply to the coins of this reign.
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny and Farthing. Gold.—Florin, Half-florin, Quarter-florin; Noble, Half-noble, and Quarter-noble.
Obverse.—Type. Groat and Half-groat, head same as Edward I.’s, within a circle formed of nine arches, fleury; Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings, as Edward I.’s.
Legend. Groat, EDWARD. DEI G. REX. ANGL. DNS. HY. Z. AQT.; or EDWAR. or EDWARD D. G. REX. ANGL. Z. FRANC. D.H.Y., or HYB. or HIBE. Half-groat, EDWARDVS. REX. ANGL. (or ANGLI) DNS. HYB., or Z. FRANCI or FRANCIE.; or ANGL. FRA. Z. HI. Penny, EDWARD or EDWARDVS.—D. G. or DI. GRA.—R. or REX.—ANGL. ANGLI. or ANGLIE.—D. or DNS. HYB. Z. FRA. FRANC. or FRANCI.
Reverse.—Type. Cross and pellets as his predecessor; one limb of the cross of the Durham coins terminating in a crozier.
Legend. Groat and Half-groat. In the outer circle, POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM, or MEV. Inner circle, town name where struck; as, CIVITAS LONDON or CIVITAS EBORACI. Pennies, etc., town, etc., names.
Rarity. Calais Groat very rare; Halfpence and Farthings rare; all others not uncommon.
Gold. Florins (six shillings), Half-florins (three shillings), and Quarter-florins (eighteenpence); Nobles (six and eightpence), Half-nobles, or Maille-nobles (three and fourpence), and Quarter or Ferling-nobles (twenty pence). Florin: obverse, the king crowned and robed, seated under a canopy, with sceptre in right hand and orb and cross in the left; on the robe a fleur-de-lis; two lions, one on each side the throne: reverse, within a quatrefoil a short beaded cross with foliated ends; in each of the angles between the four limbs a lion, or leopard, surmounted with a crown. Half-florin: a lion, crowned; a mantle, or banner, charged with the royal arms, hung from his neck: reverse, within a quatrefoil a foliated cross having a lion in each angle; legend, DOMINE NE IN FVRORE TVO ARGVAS ME, and variations. Quarter-florin: helmet, with lamberquins and crest of lion, field semé-de-lis; reverse, richly foliated cross; legend, EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA. Noble and Half-noble, king in armour, crowned, standing in a ship, with sword in his right hand, and in his left a shield of England and France quarterly; reverse, in a tressure of eight arches a rich foliated cross, in each angle a lion surmounted by a crown, a fleur-de-lis at the end of each limb of the cross; legend, IHC TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT, with variations. Quarter-noble: an escutcheon with the arms of France and England, quarterly, within a tressure of eight foils. All more or less rare. A Florin has sold for £113; a Quarter-florin for £170.
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing. Gold. Noble, Half-noble, and Quarter-noble.
Obverse.—Type. Groat and Half-groat, crowned bust within a tressure of nine arches, as his predecessor; the Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing similar to the last reigns.
Legend. RICARD. RICARDVS.—D. G. DI. G. or DI. GRA.—R. REX.—ANG. ANGL. or ANGLIE.—Z. FRA. FRANC. or FRANCIE.
Reverse.—Type and Legend. Similar to the preceding reign; on some, a rose in the centre of the cross.
Rarity. All rare.
Gold. Nobles, Half-nobles, and Quarter nobles; same types as before, with only the necessary change in the legend. All rare; the Half-noble particularly so.
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing. Gold. Noble, Half-noble, and Quarter-noble.
Obverse.—Type. All his coins like his predecessor’s; (the head within the circle of arches on the Groat and Half-groat;) and are only to be distinguished from those of his successors Henry V. and VI. by weight. The Groat weighs seventy-two grains, the others of course of proportionate weights.
Legend. HENRIC. or HENRICVS.—D. G. or DI. GRA.—REX. ANGL. or ANGLIE.—Z. FRAN. or FRANC.—D. or DNS. HI. HIB. or HYB.—Z. AQ. or AQE., etc.
Reverse.—Type. As his predecessor’s; the pellets in two of the quarters are joined together by an annulet.
Legend. Groat and Half-groat; POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEV or MEVM in outer circle, and name of town, as CIVITAS LONDON, in inner one. Pennies, etc., names of towns, as CIVITAS EBORACI, etc.
Rarity. Not uncommon; Groat rarest.
Gold. Noble, Half-noble, and Quarter-noble, same as Richard II., with only alteration of name. All rare; first coinage particularly so.
His coins are precisely like Henry IV.; no distinguishing mark has as yet been discovered, so that what is said of the one will equally apply to the other.
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing. Gold. Noble, Half-noble, Quarter-noble, and, later, Angel, and Half-angel or Angelet.
Silver. Same in every respect with the preceding ones, the only distinction being by weight, and minor differences, which are not to be taken as certain indications for appropriation; the weight of the earlier Groat being 60 grains, and the later, or “light coinage,” 48, and the other coins in proportion; the 48 grains Groat very rare.
Gold. Noble, Half-noble, and Quarter-noble, as before. The Angel, and Angelet or Half-angel, bear on the obverse a winged and nimbed figure of the Archangel Michael standing upon a dragon, which he is transfixing through the mouth with a spear, the upper end of which terminates in a cross crosslet.
Legend. HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC.; or HENRIC DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FR.
Reverse.—A ship with a large plain cross in place of mast, on which is a shield of the royal arms. On the dexter side of the cross a letter H, on the sinister a fleur-de-lis.
Legend. PER CRVSE TVA SALVA NOS XPE REDETOR.; or IHC AVTE TRANSIENS PER MEDIV ILORV.; or O CRVX AVE SPES VNICA.
Rarity. All rare.
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing. Gold. Noble, Rose-noble Royal or Rial, Half-noble or Half-rial, Quarter-noble or Quarter-rial, Angel, an Angelet or Half-angel.
Obverse.—Type. The general types of his silver coins are same as those of his predecessors. The Groat and Half-groat have the bust within the circle of arches; Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing, the same as before. Some have the royal badge of the House of York, the rose, on either side the neck of the bust, and others an annulet and rose, or four pellets, etc., on the breast; others with the initial letter of the town.
Legend. Edward. With titles as before. On the Farthing EDWARD REX ANGL. Reverse.—Type. Similar to the others.
Legend. On Groat and Half-groat. POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM in the outer circle, and name of town in the inner. On the lesser coins the names of towns only, as CIVITAS LONDON, etc.
Gold. Noble. Same type as his predecessor. Rial or Rose-noble, and its Half, much the same general type, but with a rose on the side of the ship, beneath the king and letter E on the flag.
Reverse.—Within a tressure as before a sun of sixteen rays in place of limbs of the cross, the lions and crowns and the terminations of the limbs remaining.
Legend. As before. Quarter-rial: arms as before within a quatrefoil; there are several minor varieties. Angel and angelet as before. The sun and the rose were badges of the House of York.
There are some gold and silver coins exactly similar to those of Edward IV., but bearing as mint marks a boar’s head, a rose-en-soleil, or a rose-en-soleil on one side and boar’s head on the other, that are conjectured to have been issued by this youthful king by authority and order of his uncle the “Protector,” afterwards Richard III., whose badges they bear. They are extremely rare.
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, and Halfpenny. Gold. Angel, and Angelet or Half-angel.
Obverse.—Type. As his predecessors’; the only difference being the alteration of name in the legend; on some he has a cross on the breast; mint marks, a boar’s head, and rose-en-soleil.
Legend. Ricard.—D. G. or GRA.—REX.—AN. ANG. or ANGL.—Z. FRANC.
Reverse.—Type. As before, but with the different mint marks and badges.
Legend. As before, Groat and Half-groat, POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM, in outer, and name of town in inner circle. Penny and Halfpenny, name of town only, as CIVITAS LONDON. Angel, PER CRVSEM (or CRVCE) TVA SALVA NOS XPE REDEMPT. Half-angel, O CRVX AVE SPES VNICA.
Rarity. All rare, those with M. M., a boar’s head, especially so.
Denominations.—Silver. Testoon or Shilling, Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing. Gold. Rose-noble or Rial, Angel, Angelet or Half-angel, Sovereign or Double-rial, and Double-sovereign.
Obverse.—Type. To this monarch we owe the great change which has been, since his reign, gradually improving in coins. In the first issue, his coins very closely resemble those of Henry VI. Bust crowned with an open double-arched crown, now first used; some have a key on either side the Bust. In the 18th year of his reign his coins assumed a very different character. The circle of arches was discarded; the head (which, for the first time, may be considered as a portrait) is represented in dexter profile, crowned with a double or single arched crown, with the ball and cross on top. The Penny of his later issue has the king sitting in a chair of state, crowned, sceptre in his right, and globe in his left hand.
Legend. H. HENRIC or HENRICVS.--VII. or SEPTIM.--D. G. DI. or DEI.--G. or GRA REX.--A. AN. ANG. ANGL. AGL. or ANGLIE.--Z.--F. FR. FRAN. FRANC.--DNS. HIBN. IBAR. or IBARNC.
Reverse.—Type. In his first coinage are the cross and pellets, but in his subsequent one the cross (fleury) is retained, but in the place of the pellets is a shield, France and England quarterly. The cross dividing the shield.
Legend. POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM and its usual abbreviations. On the Groats and Half-groats the inner circle of legend bearing name of town is dismissed, its place being filled with the shield. In this reign the Testoon or Shilling makes its first appearance.
Rarity. Penny of first coinage extremely rare; Halfpenny rare; others common. Second coinage, Shilling with VII., Groat with SEPTIM., and Penny, rare; others far from uncommon.
Gold. The Sovereign and Double-sovereign now make their appearance; they have on the obverse the king, fully robed, sitting on a richly canopied throne, crowned, sceptre in his right, and orb and cross in his left, hand; reverse within a tressure of ten arches a large double rose, in the centre of which is a shield bearing the arms of France and England quarterly. In the space between the arches of the tressure and the outer petals of the rose are, alternately throughout, a lion and a fleur-de-lis. There are several varieties of this coin. The Rial has the king in a ship, on the obverse as before; on the reverse a rose with royal shield in the centre as first described. Angel and angelet much the same as those of his predecessors. Rial, Double-sovereign, and Sovereign, rare; others, common.
Denominations.—Silver. Testoon or Shilling, Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing. Gold. Double-sovereign, Sovereign, Pound-sovereign, Half-sovereign, Rose-noble or Rial, George-noble, Angel, Angelet or Half-angel, Quarter-angel, Crown, Half-crown.
Obverse.—Type. His first coinage very closely resembles Henry VII. In his 15th year the Farthing has a portcullis. In his 34th year the head is almost full-faced, in a robe crowned with an open-arched crown. In his 36th and 37th years, full-faced portrait, on some with the cap.
Legend. H. HE. HERIC. HENRIC. or HENRICVS. VIII. or 8.—D. DI. or DEI.—G. GR. or GRA.—A. ANG. ANGL. or ANGLIE.—FR. FRA. FRAN. or FRANC.—Z. HIB. or HYB.—R. RE. or REX. Testoon, HERIC. VIII. DI. GRA. AGL. FRA. Z. HIB. REX. Penny, H. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA; Halfpenny the same, or abbreviated.
Reverse.—Type. First coinage, like Henry VII., with only the numeral changed from VII. to VIII.; Farthing has a rose and cross or portcullis. The Testoon or Shilling has the royal rose, crowned with an open-arched crown, between the royal initials H and R also each crowned. The others with the cross and shield. There are many varieties with different marks of towns and prelates, where and by whom they were struck.
Legend. POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM, and its abbreviations on the Shilling and Groat. Half-groat, occasionally the same, or with name of town. Penny and Halfpenny, name of town. Farthing, CIVITAS LONDON or RVTILANS ROSA.
Rarity. Groat struck at Tournay, CIVITAS TORNACI. etc., very rare. Henry VIII. debased his silver so much that his later coins have more the appearance of brass than silver. The shillings and halfpenny rare, the rest are not.
Gold. Double-sovereign, Sovereign, Half-sovereign, Rial, Half and Quarter-rials, similar in general type to those of Henry VII.: George-noble, with an equestrian figure of St. George riding over and transfixing with a spear a dragon, on the obverse; and on the reverse a ship, a cross, between H R, for a mast, and upon it a double rose. Angel and Angelet as before. Crown and Half-crown obverse a double rose, etc., crowned, between the crowned or uncrowned letters H. K. (Henry and Katherine), H. A. (Henry and Ann Boleyn), H. I. (Henry and Jane Seymour), or H. R.; reverse, royal arms crowned between same initials. RVTILANS ROSA SINE SPINA. Half-george, Noble, Crown, and Half-crown, George-noble, rare; Rial extremely so.
Denominations.—Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Testoon or Shilling, Sixpence, Groat, Threepence, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing. Gold. Treble-sovereign, Double-sovereign, Sovereign or Double-rial, Half-sovereign, Quarter-sovereign or Crown, Half-crown, Six-angel, Angel, Angelet.
Obverse.—Type. First coinage, which is base in the same degree as Henry VIII.’s last coinage. Testoon, etc., profile, crowned with an open arched crown; Penny and Halfpenny, some with crowned profile, others with the royal rose. Farthing, portcullis.
Later coinages. Crown, the king in armour, crowned, sword drawn, on horseback; to the right, under the horse, the date. Half-crown, the same, sometimes with the addition of a plume on the horse’s head. Shilling, Sixpence, and Threepence, fullfaced bust of king in robes, with the chain of the Order of the Garter round his neck, crowned, a rose on the left, and the value on the right side of the head. Penny, king enthroned, crowned ball and sceptre in his hands, or royal rose.
Legend. E. ED. EDWAR. EDWARD. EDOARD. EDOVARD. or EDWARDVS. VI. or 6.—D. DEI.—G. GRA.—AGL. ANGL.—FRA. FRANCIE. Z.—HIB. HIBE. HIBER.—REX. etc. Testoon, TIMOR DOMINI FONS VITE. MDXLIX. or MDXL.[2]—likewise on reverse, INIMICOS EIVS INDVAM CONFVSIONE. Penny, E. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA. Crown, SCVTUM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM; or RVTILANS ROSA SINE SPINA. Half-sovereign, SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM MDXLVIII[3]; or LVCERNA PEDIBVS MEIS VERBVM TVVM.
Reverse.—Type. One Testoon has the arms of France and England in an oval shield mantled; all others have the cross fleury, and plain shield of France and England quarterly. Farthing, cross and pellets.
Legend. POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM and its abbreviations, and town names. Other legends are E. R. INIMICOS EIVS INDVAM CONFVSIONE; TIMOR DOMINE FONS VITE; IHS. AVTE TRANSIE PER MED ILLOR IBAT; SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM; PER CRVCEM TVAM SALVA NOS XPE. RED.; IHESV. AVTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT; and on some the titles appear.
Rarity. Gold coins rare, some extremely so. Silver, first coinage, the Testoon, Groat, Half-groat, and Penny, rare; all his last are tolerably common, with the exception of the Crown, Half-crown, and Penny. Halfpenny and Farthing rare.
Gold.Treble-sovereigns, with the king in robes, and crowned, seated on the throne, drawn sword in right, and orb in left, hand; reverse, royal arms, with supporters, a lion and a dragon. Double-sovereigns, similar figure, but with sceptre instead of sword; a portcullis at his feet. Sovereign, same as Double-sovereign, or a half-length figure of the king in profile, in armour, crowned, sword in right hand, orb in left; reverse, arms of France and England, crowned, with or without lion and dragon supporters; beneath, on the mantling, E. R.; others have the same type as the foregoing. Half-sovereigns, king in chair of state; half-length figure, and bust crowned, etc.
Denominations.—Silver. Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence, Groat, Half-groat, Penny. Gold. Sovereign or Double-rial, Rial, Angel, Angelet.
Obverse.—Type. Before her marriage, Mary’s coins have a sinister bust profile, crowned, arched crown, hair long and flowing, draped. One Penny, a rose instead of head. After her marriage with Philip of Spain, the Shilling and Half-shilling have their busts face to face, with a crown above between them: here she appears with her dress up to her chin, and a head dress; he has the stiff ruffle about his neck. This arrangement of the profile heads facing each other gave rise to the couplet,
The Half-crown, which appears to be merely a pattern-piece, but never issued, has on one side her bust, over which is the crown between the date 1554, with the legend MARIA D. G. R. ANG. FR. NEAP. PR. HISP.; and on the other a similar bust of Philip, beneath a crown, and the legend PHILIPVS D. G. R. ANG. FR. NEAP. PR. HISP. Some of the coins have no date, others the date above, others below the heads.
Legend. M. or MARIA.—D. G. ANG.—FR. FRA. Z. HIB. REG. or REGI. Shilling and Sixpence, PHILIP. ET. or Z.; or MARIA. D. G. R. ANG. FR. NEAP. PR. HISP.; or PHILIP ET MARIA D. G. REX ET REGINA ANG. or ANGL. Some have the date as 1553 either beneath the heads or by the crown. Penny, M. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA; or P. Z. [ET] M. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA.
Reverse.—Type. Before the marriage, cross fleury and shield, as on her predecessor’s coins. After the marriage, Shilling and Sixpence bear the Spanish and Neapolitan royal arms, impaling those of England, in an oval shield, mantled; surmounted by a crown, between numerals for value.
Legend. Groat and Half-groat of Mary, VERITAS TEMPORIS FILIA, and also abbreviated; of Philip and Mary, POSVIMVS DEVM ADIVTO NOS. Shilling and Sixpence, POSVIMVS DEVM ADIVTOREM NOSTRVM, and abbreviated. Penny, CIVITAS LONDON; or VERITAS TEMP FILIA.
Rarity. Rose-penny rare; Half-crown, Half-groat, and Penny, extremely so.
Gold. Sovereign or Double-rial, the queen full-robed and crowned seated on the throne, in her right hand a sceptre, in the left the orb and cross; at her feet a portcullis; reverse, within a tressure of ten arches a double rose, with shield of royal arms in centre. Legend, A. DNO. FACTV. EST ISTV. Z. EST MIRA IN. OCVL. NRIS. (“It is the work of the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes.”) Rial, the queen crowned standing in a ship, in her right hand a drawn sword, in her left a shield of arms; in front, a rose. Same legend. Angel and Angelet, with St. Michael and the Dragon as on those of preceding monarchs.