Halfpenny of Henry VIII

This very small (12mm in diameter) hammered silver coin was found by Anthony Hopkinson last week. Anthony thought it was a halfpenny of Henry VIII but wanted to know if he was correct and what the letters on the obverse stood for.

On the obverse the legend reads h D G ROSA SINE SPIA, so this is a halfpenny of Henry VIII. The mint mark, on the obverse only, is a key. The head of the king has E to the left and L to the right, which are the initials of Edward Lee, who was Archbishop of York when this coin was issued.

Anthony’s find was struck during the second coinage of Henry VIII and it is in well above average condition for a York halfpenny of this type. The flan is a bit irregular but the coin is otherwise in VF condition. As it stands it would certainly be of interest to a numismatist and would be a welcome addition to any collection of detecting finds.

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