A transitional Tudor penny struck shortly after the death of Henry VIII, during the early reign of Edward VI. Although minted under Edward, the coin continues to use Henry’s name and portrait, reflecting the brief period before new dies were prepared. This example is a detector find with honest wear and two stress cracks, but retains clear diagnostic features including the front‑facing bust and the CIVITAS LONDON reverse.

Coin Details

  • Monarch: Edward VI (in the name of Henry VIII)
  • Reign: 1547–1550
  • Denomination: Penny
  • Mint: Tower (London)
  • Obverse: Front‑facing crowned bust of Henry VIII; legend originally HENRIC 8 D G AGL Z FR
  • Reverse: Long cross fourchée with three pellets in each quarter; CIVITAS LONDON
  • Metal: Silver (0.925)
  • Diameter: 15 mm
  • Weight: 0.84 g
  • Catalogue: Spink 2417 / 2419 / 2422 / 2424 (mintmark lost)

Historical Notes

Following Henry VIII’s death in January 1547, the mint continued to strike coins in his name while new portrait dies for Edward VI were being prepared. These posthumous issues are stylistically distinct: the portrait is cleaner and more refined than the crude, debased busts of Henry’s late Third Coinage, yet still unmistakably Tudor in character.

The obverse shows a front‑facing bust, a portrait style used only on a narrow range of Tudor pennies. The reverse carries the familiar CIVITAS LONDON legend, confirming the Tower Mint. The mintmark, normally placed before CIVITAS and before HENRIC, is completely absent due to wear and two stress cracks in the flan — typical of hammered silver that has been bent in the ground and later straightened.

Because the mintmark is the sole distinguishing feature between the four Tower‑mint facing‑bust pennies of this period, the coin must be catalogued as S.2417 / 2419 / 2422 / 2424. This is the standard attribution used by museums and the Portable Antiquities Scheme when the mintmark is lost.

Condition & Grading

This example shows the typical circulation wear expected of a hammered penny that remained in use for many years.

  • Surfaces: Even grey‑silver tone with stable wear; no harsh cleaning.
  • Obverse: Bust visible; crown outline present; legend mostly lost.
  • Reverse: Long cross and pellets clear; CIVITAS LONDON readable.
  • Flan: Two stress cracks from historical bending; edges irregular but stable.
  • Overall Grade: About Fine (aF) for the type
  • US Equivalent: F12

A solid, problem‑free detector find with honest wear and good remaining detail.

The Verdict

For a Tudor collection, this penny is a fascinating transitional issue — struck under Edward VI but still bearing Henry VIII’s portrait and titles. The front‑facing bust is a scarcer and more desirable style, and the coin retains enough detail to be an attractive and historically meaningful example.

Despite the wear and flan cracks, the essential features are present: the portrait, the long cross, and the CIVITAS LONDON legend. It is exactly the kind of circulated hammered penny that tells the story of its era, bridging the end of Henry’s reign and the beginning of Edward’s.

A worthy and characterful addition to your English hammered silver series.

Further Reading

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