at 400 dots / inch
at 400 dots / inch
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This coin is a groat of Henry VIII's first harp issue. The initial H and I either side of the harp are for Henry and Jane Seymour (his third wife) dating the issue to 1536-7. This issue saw the first use of the harp as a symbol on Irish coins. The legends are : Obverse: Henric VIII D G R AGLIE Z Reverse: France Dominus Hibernie Obverse: Henry the Eighth by the Grace of God king of England and Reverse: France, Lord of Ireland. The mintmark is a crown which is the normal mintmark for the first issue. This coin is in Good Very Fine (GVF) condition. It is quite full and round and struck on a large flan. It is slightly off centre on both sides which is not significant on the obverse as the flan is so large that no detail is missing however the reverse has lost some of the very tops of some letters and rim beading at around 7 o'clock. The strike is slightly weak in the harp. Despite these minor faults this is an exceptionally nice example and it is extremely difficult to find a better one. This is the plate coin used to illustrate the type in "Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands" - Seaby - 1984 which is still an important reference on the series. Hit your back button to return to the page you came from or select : |