Henry VII half groat

Chris Phillips asked for this coin to be identified and valued. Firstly, it is a York half groat of Henry VII, who was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.

On the obverse is a facing bust wearing an open crown, which breaks through the tressure. The stops in the legend are all rosettes.

On the reverse the legends are divided up by a long cross, which has a lozenge in the centre containing a pellet. The stops on this side are also rosettes. The mint mark on both sides is a fleur de lis. When this half groat was struck there were two mints at York: one striking coins for the king and the other making coins for the archbishop. This coin was struck for the king and is listed in the Standard Catalogue as number 2213.

Valuation

The catalogue price for half groats of this type in Fine condition is £45, which suggests they are fairly common. This certainly isn’t the case, for they are quite rare and this specimen is only the second I have seen as a detecting find.

The obverse on Chris’s coin is off centre but the coin is otherwise in good Fine condition. A collector who appreciates its rarity should be willing to pay at least £80 for it.

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