Summary

Gold coin; Denomination: Sovereign
Royal Mint, London
Henry VII (1485-1509)

Type IV. In 1489 Henry VII initiated major changes on the coinage of England. Although the pound had long been money of account there had never been a pound (20 shilling) coin until this year. The new pound coin was called a sovereign.

Obverse Description

The King enthroned holding an orb and sceptre, the throne has a high canopy and broad seat; around, (mm lis) HENRICUS DEI GRA REX ANGL ET FRAN DNS HIBR

Reverse Description

At the centre, the Royal Shield quartered with the arms of England and France, set above a Tudor rose; around (mm dragon) IHESUS AVTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT (translation: but Jesus passing through the midst of them went His way; from Luke iv, 30).

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 15 Mar 1976

  • Acknowledgement

    Purchased, Felton Bequest, 1929

  • Date Issued

    1489 AD

  • Issued By

    King Henry VII, England, Great Britain

  • Mint

    Royal Mint, London

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse, around: HENRICUS DEI GRA REX ANGL ET FRAN DNS HIBR Reverse, around:IHESUS AVTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT (Translation: but Jesus passing through the midst of them went His way - from Luke iv, 30).

  • Denomination

    Sovereign

  • Series

    England

  • Material

    Gold

  • Axis

    06

  • Classification

    Coins, Great britain, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Object Dimensions

    1 mm (Height), 41 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.388 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    North 1692/1
    [Book] North, J. J. 1963. English Hammered Coinage., p.69, no.1692/1 Pages
    [Book] Skingley, Philip. 2007. Coins of England and the United Kingdom., p.213, no.2175 Pages

  • Keywords

    Gold, Kings, England