United Kingdom 2009 5 pound Henry VIII 58.56gm Piedfort Silver Proof Coin

United Kingdom 2009 5  pound Henry VIII 58.56gm Piedfort Silver Proof Coin

In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the accession of Henry VIII, the Royal Mint has struck a £5 Piedfort Proof Coin in sterling silver. Each United Kingdom 2009 5  pound Henry VIII 58.56gm Piedfort Silver Proof Coin is produced with meticulous care by skilled craftsmen and is a supreme example of the art of minting. From a total mintage of 4009, only 1509 Henry VIII £5 Piedfort Silver Proof coins will be available in this black presentation case accompanied by an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity. The quantity of 1509 was chosen to mark the year of the accession of Henry VIII to the throne.
Stunning Reverse Design Inspired by the Work of Holbein
In the coin portrait, which is taken from a contemporary work by Holbein, Henry is shown standing before a frieze of roses in the ‘antique’ style much favoured in the carvings and tapestries of the period. He is presented within a petal-shaped device used frequently to frame portraits on medieval coins. The cipher HR (Henricus Rex) is taken from an elaborately engraved gun barrel of the time and all is enclosed within a rope border representing the Royal Navy.

The obverse of this British Silver Proof Coin features the familiar portrait of Her Majesty
The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

Twice the Weight, Double the Thickness
As their name suggests, Piedforts are closely associated with France where they can be traced back to the twelfth century. In England the striking of such pieces began later and was less frequent but medieval examples are known, notably the thick silver pennies of Edward. Minting was not a centralized activity in England in the Middle Ages, coins being struck in other locations as well as London. There are only a limited number of unusually thick prestige pieces from England, most spectacularly the gold double-sovereigns of Henry VII which bore the same design as the sovereign. The striking of Piedforts ceased in Britain in the sixteenth century – a sixpence of 1588 being the last known specimen – but the tradition survived in France for at least another 150 years.