HENRY VII. (1485 to 1509.)
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.