AR ½ Groat

Struck: 1533-1544
Mint: Canterbury
Size: 18.5mm
Weight: 1.17g
Die Axis: ~45°
Grade: VF
Ref: S-2345

Obverse: HENRIC VIII DGR AGL Z FR. Crowned bust facing right legend surrounds.
Reverse: CIVITΛS CΛNTOR, T‑C flanking shield. Coat‑of‑arms over long cross fourchée.
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Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled, and the execution of his second wife Anne Boleyn. His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about his annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority. He appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated.

Domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings in opposition to Papal supremacy. He achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favor. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich, and Thomas Cranmer all figured prominently in his administration.

Henry was an extravagant spender, using the proceeds from the dissolution of the monasteries and acts of the Reformation Parliament. He also converted the money that was formerly paid to Rome into royal revenue. Despite the money from these sources, he was continually on the verge of financial ruin due to his personal extravagance, as well as his numerous costly and largely unsuccessful wars.

Henry's contemporaries considered him to be an attractive, educated, and accomplished king. He has been described as "one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne" and his reign has been described as the "most important" in English history. As he aged, he became severely overweight and his health suffered contributing to his death on January 28, 1547. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI.