1 Groat - Henry VIII 2nd coinage, Laker bust A3

Henry VIII's second coinage marks the beginning of his systematic debasement program, though the coins struck in its earliest phase — before 1544 — still maintained the traditional sterling standard. The real debasement came with the third coinage, when silver fineness collapsed to as low as .333. This piece predates that humiliation.

The "Laker bust" designation traces to a group of dies associated with a specific London workshop. The A3 sub-variety is distinguished by subtle die characteristics catalogued by researchers working from the North and Whitton classifications — useful for pinning provenance within what is otherwise a long, stylistically inconsistent reign.