A fun little British game

SimonW · September 20, 2026 10:27AM

I’ve been putting together a set of British coins on the cheap, one per Monarch. The idea was to keep them in the hundreds of dollars range each, generally $100-$500.

An auction came up with a group of Henry VIII coins, they were all different, mid to low grade, kinda fun, so I bought it, figuring I would sell two and keep one.

They all graded at PCGS without any problems. Which would you keep? They all have their merits, but I’m heavily leaning towards one of them.

What are your thoughts? I don’t want to influence your decisions, so I won’t say anything really, except to tell what mint they were made in.

F15 Canterbury

VF30 York

VF25 London

syl · September 20, 2026 2:21PM

2

johnny9434 · September 20, 2026 2:22PM

2nd one

Greenstang · September 20, 2026 2:29PM

Definitely #2

1960NYGiants · September 20, 2026 3:01PM

I know nothing about these coins, but the 2nd piece has the most eye appeal to me.

WillieBoyd2 · September 20, 2026 3:40PM

I would also say number 2.

I have two Henry VIII groats, one is an early one with his father's portrait on it.

SimonW · September 21, 2026 10:48AM

You all agree with me.

Here are some of the factors that influence me for the coins.

Only one of these coins (coin #1) is an actual depiction of Henry VIII. The other two are images of his father. It seems odd to have a single coin that represents a certain ruler, but show a different ruler.
Coin number two presents itself the best. The toning and facial detail look great, in comparison to the other two.
Coin number three was made the best. The strike is better centered, it’s more complete, the flan is more round, no cracks. It has a little more wear and doesn’t have a really great face like #2, and missing the toning, but from a production standpoint, it’s superior. Even the hair is better struck.
The York, London and Canterbury mints.
A. London: I really enjoy the coinage made at the Tower of London, I’ve been there, seen the mint, read the stories…but this London issue is really common, at least forty or so are certified by PCGS alone…🥱
B. York, much less common, a handful certified
C. Canterbury, about on par with York, much less available than London.

I’ve seriously considered selling all of them and shooting for one great one! In the end that might be what happens, but I agree with you all, #2 has the most going for it.

If you got all the way through this, you must be interested in British coinage, or very very bored! 😂

John Conduitt · September 21, 2026 1:12PM

In fact, they are all Henry VIII. The top one is from the third coinage, which is both rarer and very difficult to get in anything above poor condition on account of it being heavily debased and poorly made. (Your one is actually not bad, probably the better coin out of the three relative to what you can get).

The others are the second coinage, which are usually in better condition but are less popular on account of it being a younger, healthier, less-characteristic looking Henry VIII, and of course there being more well-struck coins to choose from.

His first coinage does feature his father, but this is what his father looks like:

SimonW · September 21, 2026 1:44PM

@John Conduitt said:
In fact, they are all Henry VIII. The top one is from the third coinage, which is both rarer and very difficult to get in anything above poor condition on account of it being heavily debased and poorly made. (Your one is actually not bad, probably the better coin out of the three relative to what you can get).

The others are the second coinage, which are usually in better condition but are less popular on account of it being a younger, healthier, less-characteristic looking Henry VIII, and of course there being more well-struck coins to choose from.

His first coinage does feature his father, but this is what his father looks like:

No kidding?! That’s good to know. Thanks for the update. I was under the impression that when the transition happened, for a while, the portrait on the coin didn’t change, only the VIII, thanks for the info.

Nap · September 21, 2026 4:47PM

I’d choose #2.

Here are my examples of the first, second, and third coinages of Henry VIII, groat denomination.

Sapyx · September 22, 2026 6:21PM

While it may not be the most attractive of the three options, in terms of "coins that tell stories" I have to say I would lean towards the top one.

As John Conduitt noted, that coin is from the first "debased" series - marking the beginning of the first and (until the 20th century) only time that English/British silver coinage slipped so low in fineness. Later historians called it the "Great Debasement". The coins were unpopular as a result of this poorly-hidden debasement - eventually dropping to as low as 33% silver - and the king's personal reputation suffered as a result.

The coins were apparently given a vinegar-pickling pre-treatment before striking, making the resultant freshly-minted coins look "more silvery" that their high-copper composition would normally allow. However, after some time in circulation the silvered layer wore through on the high points, revealing the orange-coloured metal underneath. The king's nose on the 3/4 facing and front-facing portraits on these coins being the most prominent high point on the coin's obverse, this ultimately led to a new nickname for Henry VIII himself: "Old Coppernose".

A fun little British game

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