Sovereign: Henry VII (obverse); Shield of Arms in Tudor Rose (reverse)
Unknown Artist
1504–9
Medium
gold
Dimensions
diam. 4.1 cm
Classification
Coins
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Norweb Collection
Accession Number
1969.169
About this artwork
The coinage of Henry VII is the first step from medieval to modern coinage. In 1489 a special commission was issued for the striking of a new gold coin called the sovereign, weighing 240 gs. This is the first use of the name in the English series. These early sovereigns can boast of an artistic achievement never before realized on an English coin, and perhaps never since.