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.
MARY I. AND PHILIP AND MARY. (1553 to 1558.)
Married Philip of Spain, 1554.
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,
“... cooing and billing
Like Philip and Mary on a shilling.”
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.