DENOMINATIONS.--_Silver._ Testoon or Shilling, Groat, Half-groat,
Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing. _Gold._ Double-sovereign, Sovereign,
Pound-sovereign, Half-sovereign, Rose-noble or Rial, George-noble,
Angel, Angelet or Half-angel, Quarter-angel, Crown, Half-crown.
OBVERSE.--_Type._ His first coinage very closely resembles Henry VII.
In his 15th year the Farthing has a portcullis. In his 34th year the
head is almost full-faced, in a robe crowned with an open-arched crown.
In his 36th and 37th years, full-faced portrait, on some with the cap.
_Legend._ H. HE. HERIC. HENRIC. or HENRICVS. VIII. or 8.--D. DI. or
DEI.--G. GR. or GRA.--A. ANG. ANGL. or ANGLIE.--FR. FRA. FRAN. or
FRANC.--Z. HIB. or HYB.--R. RE. or REX. Testoon, HERIC. VIII. DI. GRA.
AGL. FRA. Z. HIB. REX. Penny, H. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA; Halfpenny the
same, or abbreviated.
REVERSE.--_Type._ First coinage, like Henry VII., with only the
numeral changed from VII. to VIII.; Farthing has a rose and cross or
portcullis. The Testoon or Shilling has the royal rose, crowned with
an open-arched crown, between the royal initials H and R also each
crowned. The others with the cross and shield. There are many varieties
with different marks of towns and prelates, where and by whom they were
struck.
_Legend._ POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM, and its abbreviations on the
Shilling and Groat. Half-groat, occasionally the same, or with name of
town. Penny and Halfpenny, name of town. Farthing, CIVITAS LONDON or
RVTILANS ROSA.
_Rarity_. Groat struck at Tournay, CIVITAS TORNACI. etc., very rare.
Henry VIII. debased his silver so much that his later coins have more
the appearance of brass than silver. The shillings and halfpenny rare,
the rest are not.
_Gold_. Double-sovereign, Sovereign, Half-sovereign, Rial, Half
and Quarter-rials, similar in general type to those of Henry VII.:
George-noble, with an equestrian figure of St. George riding over and
transfixing with a spear a dragon, on the obverse; and on the reverse
a ship, a cross, between H R, for a mast, and upon it a double rose.
Angel and Angelet as before. Crown and Half-crown obverse a double
rose, etc., crowned, between the crowned or uncrowned letters H. K.
(Henry and Katherine), H. A. (Henry and Ann Boleyn), H. I. (Henry and
Jane Seymour), or H. R.; reverse, royal arms crowned between same
initials. RVTILANS ROSA SINE SPINA. Half-george, Noble, Crown, and
Half-crown, George-noble, rare; Rial extremely so.