England (1526-32) halfgroat
The first specimen was lot 3068 in Goldberg sale 87 (Los Angeles, September 2015), where it sold for $446.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "Great Britain. Halfgroat, ND. Henry VIII, 1509-1547. Canterbury, Archbishop Warham. A lovely portrait of one of England's most famous monarchs on this attractive coin. NGC graded EF-40." The second specimen was lot 2133 in Goldberg sale 122 (Los Angeles, June 2021), where it sold for $780. The catalog description[2] noted, "Great Britain. Halfgroat, ND. Henry VIII. Second coinage (1526-1544). Canterbury mint. Archbishop Warham. Obverse: Crowned portrait of king right. Reverse: Tudor shield of arms W and A beside shield. CIVITAS CANTOR around. Sharply struck with old cabinet tone." This halfgroat, or tuppence, bearing the bust of the king's father, still looks medieval. The groat was introduced in the late middle ages as increased commerce required a larger coin than the silver penny. This specimen is marked "WA" on the reverse, identifying it as a product of the archbishop's mint at Canterbury. The archbishop died in 1532, studiously avoiding involvement in the king's divorce.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: S.2343.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 87: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2015.
- [2]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 122: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2021.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
Link to:
- England (1509-24) groat
- England (1509-26) angel Fr-155
- England (1513-26) 1/2 angel Fr-156
- (1526-32)-WA penny, Canterbury mint
- (1526-44) penny, London mint
- (1526-44) groat
- (1526-29) gold half crown
- (1526-33) gold crown of the rose
- (1526-33) gold crown of the double rose = 5 shillings
- (1526-29) half george noble
- (1526-33) george noble = 7½ shillings
- (1531-44) halfgroat, York mint
- England (1533-44) halfgroat Canterbury mint
- Coins and currency dated 1526
- return to coins of Great Britain