DENOMINATIONS.--_Silver._ Testoon or Shilling, Groat, Half-groat,
Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing. _Gold._ Rose-noble or Rial, Angel,
Angelet or Half-angel, Sovereign or Double-rial, and Double-sovereign.
OBVERSE.--_Type._ To this monarch we owe the great change which has
been, since his reign, gradually improving in coins. In the first
issue, his coins very closely resemble those of Henry VI. Bust crowned
with an open double-arched crown, now first used; some have a key on
either side the Bust. In the 18th year of his reign his coins assumed
a very different character. The circle of arches was discarded; the
head (which, for the first time, may be considered as a portrait) is
represented in dexter profile, crowned with a double or single arched
crown, with the ball and cross on top. The Penny of his later issue has
the king sitting in a chair of state, crowned, sceptre in his right,
and globe in his left hand.
[Illustration]
_Legend._ H. HENRIC or HENRICVS.--VII. or SEPTIM.--D. G. DI. or
DEI.--G. or GRA REX.--A. AN. ANG. ANGL. AGL. or ANGLIE.--Z.--F. FR.
FRAN. FRANC.--DNS. HIBN. IBAR. or IBARNC.
REVERSE.--_Type._ In his first coinage are the cross and pellets, but
in his subsequent one the cross (fleury) is retained, but in the place
of the pellets is a shield, France and England quarterly. The cross
dividing the shield.
_Legend._ POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM and its usual abbreviations. On the
Groats and Half-groats the inner circle of legend bearing name of town
is dismissed, its place being filled with the shield. In this reign the
Testoon or Shilling makes its first appearance.
_Rarity._ Penny of first coinage extremely rare; Halfpenny rare; others
common. Second coinage, Shilling with VII., Groat with SEPTIM., and
Penny, rare; others far from uncommon.
_Gold._ The Sovereign and Double-sovereign now make their appearance;
they have on the obverse the king, fully robed, sitting on a richly
canopied throne, crowned, sceptre in his right, and orb and cross in
his left, hand; reverse within a tressure of ten arches a large double
rose, in the centre of which is a shield bearing the arms of France and
England quarterly. In the space between the arches of the tressure and
the outer petals of the rose are, alternately throughout, a lion and a
fleur-de-lis. There are several varieties of this coin. The Rial has
the king in a ship, on the obverse as before; on the reverse a rose
with royal shield in the centre as first described. Angel and angelet
much the same as those of his predecessors. Rial, Double-sovereign, and
Sovereign, rare; others, common.