HENRY VIII. (1509 to 1547.)
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.