Lot 95
95
Henry VIII, Groat, 2.89g., first coinage, m.m. portcullis (with chains on obv. only), pellet before GRA, reads FR, rev. ornamental trefoils in cross-ends (Whitton p.207 (iii) 4/6; Stewartby, BNJ 1986, p.189; N.1762; S.2316), slightly creased, with a small edge crack at 6 o'clock, otherwise good fine, an extremely rare variety
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Henry VIII, Groat, 2.89g., first coinage, m.m. portcullis (with chains on obv. only), pellet before GRA, reads FR, rev. ornamental trefoils in cross-ends (Whitton p.207 (iii) 4/6; Stewartby, BNJ 1986, p.189; N.1762; S.2316), slightly creased, with a small edge crack at 6 o'clock, otherwise good fine, an extremely rare variety

Details
Henry VIII, Groat, 2.89g., first coinage, m.m. portcullis (with chains on obv. only), pellet before GRA, reads FR, rev. ornamental trefoils in cross-ends (Whitton p.207 (iii) 4/6; Stewartby, BNJ 1986, p.189; N.1762; S.2316), slightly creased, with a small edge crack at 6 o'clock, otherwise good fine, an extremely rare variety
Provenance
J Grant Morris, Sotheby, 22 April 1898, lot 35
H M Lingford, collection purchased by Baldwin, 1951
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Stewartby records three specimens of the portcullis Groat with trefoils on the reverse, from two obverse dies, reading FR and FRA, and three reverse dies. Both recorded obverse dies have mintmark portcullis over T crowned, leading to the suggestion that the reverse variety was designed for use at Tournai but discarded in favour of the more explicit CIVITAS TORNACEN type. This is a fourth example. It is struck from a regular Tower obverse and may be a mule.