Halfpenny of Henry VIII

This hammered silver coin was unearthed by Lee Kehoe, who thought it was a coin of Henry VIII but he asked me for a definite ID on his find.

Firstly, the coin measures 12mm in diameter so it is a halfpenny of Henry VIII. On the obverse the legend reads h D G ROSA SIE SPIA and on the revere it reads CIVI TAS EBO RACI. To the left of the king’s head on the obverse is a letter E and to the right a letter L.  The letters stand for Edward Lee, who was Archbishop of York when this coin was struck.

Coins as small as this one used to be very scarce until improvements in the performance of metal detectors led to them becoming quite easy to find. Today there are many types and varieties that were unknown only a few decades since.

Valuation

This halfpenny is listed as number 2361 in the Standard Catalogue. It would grade good Fine and to a collector is should be worth around £60.

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