1504 Penny – Henry VII

Classification: House of Tudor. King of England. Hammered.

Henry was born on 28 January 1457 to Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and Lady Margaret Beaufort. He seized the Crown after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses. This was the last time an English King won the throne on a battlefield.

King Henry VII was the first of the Tudor monarchs and ruled until his death on 21 April 1509, aged 52. He was succeeded by his son, Henry VIII.
The Penny is one of the most famous British coins. The coin itself has been around since 600AD and at various times has been struck in silver, copper and bronze. Originally split into halfpennies and farthing, it is now itself the least denomination coin currently in circulation. Made from copper (actually copper plated steel).

Originally there were 12 pennies in one shilling and 240 pennies in £1; since decimalisation in 1973 there are 100 new pence in one pound.

Specifications of the Penny

• Diameter: (Bronze) 31 mm (since 1860)
• Edge: Plain
• Composition:
  • (1707–1796) Silver
  • (1797–1859) Copper
  • (1860–1970) Bronze
• Years: 1707–1970

The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. 

Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.

Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.

There is also an on-line shop at The Royal Mint Shop.
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.