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Author Topic: CIVITAS LONDON, Henry VI Groat  (Read 888 times)

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Offline v-drome

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CIVITAS LONDON, Henry VI Groat
« on: May 29, 2015, 06:49:16 pm »
Hi, all.  Here is a coin given to my father by a friend in England many years ago.  I think it may be Henry VI or VII, but the inscription is hard to read and partly off-flan.  The hENRIC also seems to be lacking either the N or the R in the legend.  I have checked wildwinds and several other on-line searches, but nothing exactly like it came up.  There are a lot of variations, but how they tell the rulers apart I can't figure.  Any ideas would be welcome.  I am also concerned because when I drop the coin on my desk it does not "ring" like I would expect a silver coin to do, unless it may be a debased alloy (or a fake).  Thanks, again, V-drome

Medieval English
Henry VII? or VI
1485-1509? CE
AR Groat?
Obv: hEN(R)IC .....
Facing bust, crown with pellets to left and right.
Rev:.....CIVITAS LONDON
Cross and three pellets in each quarter,
no mint mark?
27mm. 3.52gm. Axis:150 or 330

click for larger pic

Offline Callimachus

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Re: CIVITAS LONDON, Henry VII? Groat
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2015, 09:04:37 pm »
This is a groat of Henry VI.

Sources:
J. J. North's English Hammered Coinage, vol. 2 (original edition).
Coins of England and the United Kingdom, Spink, 2007 edition.

Henry VI has an issue called the Leaf-Pellet issue of 1445-1454. 

One of the distinguishing features is a pellet on each side of the crown.  The only other issue with a pellet on each side of the crown is the Cross-Pellet issue (1454-1460) which has crosses at each side of the king's neck. This coin certainly is not from that issue.

Both North and Spink say that sometimes two quarters on the reverse have an extra pellet in them.  The LON and CIVI quarters of your coin have 4 pellets in them -- the fourth pellet is just smaller than the other three.

J. J. North illustrates (p. 55) seven different crosses that start the obverse legends of Henry VI's coins. The cross on your coin is IIIb. There is no cross starting the reverse legend on the Leaf-Pellet issue.

There is also suppose to be a leaf on the king's breast.  There is something there on your coin, but I can't say what it is. 

As far as missing letters: that often happens on these coins. 





Offline v-drome

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Re: CIVITAS LONDON, Henry VII? Groat
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2015, 10:18:41 pm »
Callimachus, thank you so much for the detailed references, and for explaining the very interesting features of this coin.  

Best regards, Jimi

Offline MedievalMadman

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Re: CIVITAS LONDON, Henry VII? Groat
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2015, 09:38:12 am »
What is the price range for this coin?

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