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EM15966

Edward IV Halfgroat, Canterbury Mint under Archbishop Bouchier

Edward IV, second reign (1471-83), silver Half-Groat of Twopence, Canterbury Mint, under Archbishop Bouchier, facing crowned bust within double tressure of nine arcs, trefoil on each cusp, C on breast, beaded circles and legend surrounding, initial mark rose (1477-80), *EDWARD DI GRA' REX AnGL' Z FRA, rev. long cross pattee, tri-pellets in each inner angle, beaded circles and double concentric legends surrounding, CIVI TAS CAn TOR inner legend, +POS VI DEVmxx A DIVTOR Exx mEVm, weight 1.34g (N.1637; S.2106). Attractively toned, with a great portrait and clear design elements, struck a little short of flan, otherwise good very fine.

The Latin abbreviated legend translates as "Edward, by the grace of God, King of England and France," and on the reverse "I have made God my helper," a Psalm from the Bible along with "City of Canterbury" on the inner circle.

Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Bourchier (b.c.1412-30th March 1482) was an English Cardinal and Lord Chancellor of England. He was instrumental in maintaining the stability of the church during the Wars of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster. He was the Great Grandson of Edward III through his maternal side and son of William Bourchier later made Count of Eu in 1419. Thomas Bourchier became Bishop of Worcester from 1435-43 and then Bishop of Ely from 1443-54. Winning acceptance from both the Yorkists and the Lancastrians he was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1454 and Lord Chancellor from 1455-56, arranging a temporary reconciliation between the sides in 1458. After the 1461 defeat of the Lancastrians he became a loyal supporter of Edward IV who made him Cardinal in 1467. Later in 1483 he persuaded the widow of Edward to hand over the boy King Edward V to his Uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester but was not implicated into the later disappearance of Edward V in August of 1483.

The cathedral City of Canterbury lies on the River Stour in Kent some sixty miles from London and sixteen miles north west of the port of Dover. Early Anglo-Saxon gold Thrymsa coins are known bearing its name and became one of the most important mints in Southern England in the 8th and 9th Centuries. The Danes were bought off for £3,000 in 809, but later took the city in 839 and again in 851, also circa 981 and finally in 1011. The first Archbishop was St Augustine who arrived in 597 on a mission from Pope Gregory and accepted by King Aethelberht in 598 on his conversion to Christianity. The Archbishop later had the right to two moneyers which increased to three in 1189. The abbot of St Augustine had the privilege to one die in eight at Canterbury until 1161 although the coins do not seem to bear any specific mark. The only issue which could be demarked as for the abbot being the Henry I type XIV issue with an annulet on the shoulder for moneyers Algar and Willem, and it is known that his moneyer in the Tealby coinage was Alferg.

Provenance:

Ex E. J. Winstanley Collection, this coin later bought from A. H. Baldwin November 1999.

Ex Lord Stewartby Collection, part IV, Spink Coin Auction, 29th November 2016, lot 1435 part.

Ex Mark Rasmussen Numismatist, Surrey, List number 31, item number 42.

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