Name

Henry VI Half Groat

Price

$1.50

Brief Description

Dates of Mintage 1424 to 1427 in great quantity Represented Worth: 2 pennies sterling

Extended Description

Replica Henry VI half-groat cast from lead free pewter. Every once in a while you just want to horsewhip a coiner, for his bad work. This happened from time to time historically, but some coinages were known for poor quality. For example, Henry IV's coins were known for this and most of his issues were reclaimed for buillion to be reminted when Henry V ascended the throne.  Regarding the Calais mintage of silver coins: "...over 60,000 pounds weight of the Calais silver was issued for currency during the Annulet issue period, which is confirmed by the vast quantities of this coinage available and the large numbers found in the Reigate Hoard." These coins are Henry VI Half-Groats from 1424 to 1427, struck (by some weak-limbed Yob) at Calais. Identification of these Half-Groat coins--if you were to mistrust my word--would require a bit of research, which I love to do for you.

The obverse legend is almost entirely illegible due to poor quality control at the mint. The reverse reads: POSUI:MEUM:ADUITOREM:MEUM on the outside ring, and VILLA:CALIS (Calais) in the inner ring.

The obverse has the standard front aspect bust with foliate crown (little help in identification since every King from Edward I to Henry VII used it, and there were many die cutters whose artistic abilities varied enough to make it difficult to identify which king they sought to depict). The Calais markings narrow down the mintage of this coin to post-1363, when the mint at Calais was opened, and pre-1440, when the Calais mint was closed. Henry VI had large quantities of coin minted at Calais during his early coinages. Further, on the obverse, there are two annulets, one on each side of the bust. J. J. North in his English Hammered Coinage, Vol. 2 indicates that this is characteristic of the mintages of Half-Groats of Calais from 1424 (when the Calais mint was re-opened after a lapse) to 1427.

These replicas are irregular, 20mm to 21mm side to side. The thickness is about 1mm. This is in line with the "light coinages" which became the norm starting with Henry IV due to wartime economic crises.