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TUDOR. Henry VIII. 1509-1547. AR Groat (26mm, 2.90 g, 1h). First coinage. Tournai mint; im: crowned τ. Struck 1513-1518. Crowned bust right / Coat-of-arms over long cross fourchée. Whitton –; North –; Stewartby p. 437; SCBC 2317. Deeply toned, slightly irregular flan. Good VF. Very rare.
From the Arthur M. Fitts III Collection. Ex Davissons 37 (21 February 2018), lot 142; Motby (Morton & Eden 78, 17 March 2016), lot 207; H.A. Parsons (11 May 1954), lot 863.
The Belgian town of Tournai (Doornik) was captured by English forces under the young king Henry VIII after a brief siege from 10-23 September 1513. Henry was campaigning in the Low Countries with Emperor Maximilian I in what is today known as the War of the League of Cambrai, one of many theaters in the series of conflicts between the Austrian Hapsburgs and the French Valois. English forces would hold the city until it was returned to the French in the Treaty of London in 1518.
A limited series of English-style silver groats would be struck in Tournai during the city’s brief period of Tudor control. Marked with a crowned τ initial mark, the dies for this short-lived coinage would later be repunched with the portcullis mark and pressed into service in London. The issue is today very rare, so much so that R. Carlyon-Britton considered these to be patterns. In addition to English-style groats and halfgroats, two types of French-style gros are known, both extremely rare (Vanhoudt G417-8).
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 121 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 6-8 October 2022. This lot is in Session Five, which will begin 8 October 2022 at 9 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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