Halfgroat of Henry VIII
I was told by Robin Dones that this coin was found in Northamptonshire on the 9th of October. It’s a halfgroat of Henry VIII, which was struck during the second coinage of this king.
On the obverse is a profile portrait of the King Henry, which represents him as a young man. It is far more flattering than the older head, which first appeared on silver coins in 1544.
On the reverse is a cross resting on a shield of arms. To the left of the shield is a W and to the right an A; the letters stand for Archbishop William Warham, for whom this halfgroat was struck. This legend on this side reads CIVI TAS CAn TOR. The mint mark on both sides has never been identified, so it is listed as Warham’s uncertain mark.
In the Standard Catalogue halfgroats of this type are listed as number 2343. There is also an illustration (number 121) of the uncertain mark if anyone wants to try to work out what it is.
Valuation
The reverse has been struck slightly off centre but the coin is otherwise in about VF condition, so I would give it a price range of £120 – £150.