Halfgroat of Henry VIII

Joe Pearson said he unearthed this coin during a recent club dig in North Yorkshire. I’ve been on a few outings organised by my club but the last time I found a hammered silver coin was in February of 2020.

Joe’s find is a, which was struck during the second coinage of this king. On the reverse there is a letter T at one side and a W at the other side of the shield of arms; below the shield is a cardinals’ hat. The legend reads CIVI TAS EBO RACI. This coin was struck for the profit of Thomas Wolsey, when he was a Cardinal and Archbishop of York.

On the obverse, facing right, is the young head of Henry VIII. The mint mark on both sides is a cross and in the Standard Catalogue halfgroats of this type are listed as number 2346.

Valuation

The obverse would grade good Fine. The reverse is slightly better but it has been struck off centre. In its present condition a collector might be willing to pay up to £125 in order to acquire this coin.