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1/2 Penny - Edward VI 1st period
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1547-1549 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A long cross fourchee (forked-end cross) extending to the coin's edge and dividing the reverse field into four quarters, each containing a trefoil of pellets. The design is characteristic of Tudor hammered halfpence, with the cross serving both as a religious symbol and a practical guide for cutting the coin. A circular legend in Latin identifying the mint city runs around the outer border of the irregular flan. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Edward VI's first coinage period, running from his accession in early 1547 through 1549, was among the most debased in English history — a deliberate policy inherited from Henry VIII and enthusiastically continued by the Lord Protector Somerset's regime to generate revenue. The halfpenny of this period, however, is a partial exception: struck in silver rather than the heavily alloyed metal used for the larger denominations, though at a fineness considerably below the old sterling standard.
Surviving examples are genuinely scarce. The flan weight alone — barely a fifth of a gram — meant these pieces were easily lost, bent, or simply dismissed as worthless as debasement accelerated.