1422-1427 Henry VI Groat Calais Annulet Issue Cross

Intriguing hammered silver Calais Groat of Henry VI from the ‘Annulet’ issue, made in the first decade of his first reign (1422-1430). The obverse shows a facing crowned bust with annulets either side of the neck. The portrait is enclosed within a double tressure of arcs, lis at the points, itself enclosed within a beaded circle. The mint mark here is a little hard to identify. It looks most like an ‘incurved pieced cross’ - a curved cross with a hole in the middle - which would date this issue to between 1422 and 1427. There isn’t a hole in the cross though so perhaps it is a form of a plain cross (1422-1460). The legend shows an unusual spelling of ‘ANGL’, here rendered ‘ANGLIE’ with saltire stops used between. The reverse shows a standard long cross, three pellets in the inner quarters with an extra annulet in two opposing segments. This detail gives the class its name and makes coins minted in this period easily identifiable. The annulet design is separated from the next ring by a beaded circle. The outer legend also features a strange incurved pierced cross/plain cross mint mark with no central hole. This middle ring identifies the mint location: ‘VILLA CALAIS’. The mint at Calais was established shortly after the town was captured by Edward III in 1347 and produced English coinage intermittently in the ensuing decades. The Calais mint reopened in the last year of Henry Vs reign and struck coins in his son, Henry VI’s, name during the early part of his reign when regents ruled in his stead. These years represented the high water mark of English power and territorial spread on the continent, culminating in the younger Henry’s coronation as king of France in 1431 - the only English monarch to have been so crowned. This coin represents the pinnacle of a troubled reign which would see military disasters in France and civil disorder at home, field by the mental instability that left Henry unfit to rule. This fascinating piece weighs 3.78 grams and has a diameter of 27.1 millimetres. Grade: GVF - A medium tone on a full flan with one very minor edge chip. Good legend and attractive bust details, some slightly weaker areas - otherwise good Very Fine. Spink 1836.