Groat of Mary

Damon Ward asked if I could provide him with an ID on this hammered silver coin. Well, it’s a groat of Mary, who came to the throne in 1553 and died (some say of a broken heart) in 1558.

Some hammered coins turn up in good condition but the majority display defects of some kind. The defects can be minor or, as it the case with this coin, multiple.

Damon’s find is worn, creased, cracked and has a piece missing from its edge. In its present state of preservation it would be on minimal commercial value. However, if this is the first coin of its type found by Damon it does at least fill a gap in his range of detecting finds.