The Power of Symbolism: The Sovereign coin- Henry VII's most underrated legacy

Henry Tudor's Legacy is everywhere you just have to look

Thrillingly Henry VII is having a bit of a Renaissance (pun absolutely intended) but there is still a lot no one gives the guy credit for. This series will look at BIG, MONUMENTAL symbols that should be attributed to him but may have been forgotten or swept under the rug due to his attention whore of a son.

This week’s article focuses on Henry Tudor’s 1489 creation of the Iconic Gold Sovereign Coin. Today it is still one of the most coveted and valuable coins in the world!! If you don’t believe me this one had an opening bid at an auction for 1.3 Million Dollars!!!!! You can read about it here https://www.coinnews.net/2021/02/12/royal-mint-to-auction-ngc-certified-henry-vii-sovereign-on-march-4/

The reason for its status as the most underrated symbol of Henry VII’s reign is firstly because no one ever talks about it, and secondly because I have been trying to research it for over 2 years and there just isn’t that much information on it. Granted I have been “researching” from the comfort of my own home and not traipsing through the archives like I should. I am surprised that some of my favorite Historians and Authors aren’t talking about it’s significance on podcasts or writing articles about it in History Magazines. There are only a few books about the Sovereign and most are old. If there is anyone out there who wants to publish a book focusing on the impact and significance of the Sovereign, shoot me a DM, I am all in.

Now I realize that most people’s eyes start to glaze over whenever someone starts talking about coins but in this case it’s actually quite exciting - not only because of the coin’s characteristics but also for what it meant to Henry VII and the legacy of his dynasty. Today we completely understand the power of promotion and branding and how instrumental they are to our success. Henry did too. What better way for a new King to market his power and stability than by portraying himself enthroned, wearing a crown, on the largest and most valuable coin ever created? This was his own personal status symbol and it would be circulated throughout Europe for centuries.

Let’s talk about WHY he made it.

By 1489 Henry Tudor had overcome some serious threats and celebrated a few successes in his four years on the throne.  As a master of propaganda he knew the time was right to initiate a fresh marketing campaign. Minting a stunning new coin was just what he needed to showcase himself as a viable contender on the European scene. Let’s look at some of these incredible feats and triumphs that lead up to its creation:

• Back in June 1487, two years prior to the minting, Henry Tudor had crushed the Lambert Simnel rebellion led by (rebel) John de la pole, Earl of Lincoln.

  - Now for ease of use I am going to assume that Lambert Simnel was not, in fact, Edward Earl of Warwick or Edward V, both legitimate replacements for Henry VII as King. The rebels that propped up the pretender as the young royal noble were defeated at the Battle of Stoke. This event is significant because it effectively ended the Wars of the Roses. Henry ended up not having to take to the battle field again to defend his crown. (He did have more trouble down the road but let’s put a pin in that.)

• In February 1489 Henry VII signed the Treaty Of Redon with the Independent Duchy of Brittany. In this he promised to support Brittany’s young ruler, Duchess Anne, from being hostilely taken over and absorbed by big bad France. Henry VII agreed to send 6,000 troops to aid Brittany’s fight for independence. Don’t get me wrong this was also very beneficial for him, France, under King Charles VIII could have become too big of a threat if it scooped up this additional territory.

• In March 1489 Henry Tudor entered into a monumental alliance with the rising super powers; Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, the “Kings” of Spain - ever heard of them? ;-)

  In my humble opinion the Treaty of Medina Del Campo is THE most consequential alliance in the history of the Tudors - but lets save that for another day… In a nutshell this treaty consisted of: aligning the 3 Kingdoms against France and their mutual enemies, opening up advantageous trade agreements, oh and a little marriage between Henry VII’s heir, Prince Arthur, and Spain’s youngest princess, or infanta, Catalina of Aragon. I am going to assume you know how this ended 20 years later.

• Henry also had a tempestuous on again, off again relationship with Maximilian I, then King of the Romans. They partnered together to help defend Brittany’s independence against France. In the end Henry did most of the heavy lifting. Maximilian always had some reason for not following through on his end of the bargain.

Henry had overcome pretenders and rebel nobles while also gaining respect through strategic European partnerships. Maybe it was time to really unleash his PR genius.

The Gold Sovereign was minted at the Tower of London on October 28th 1489 and no cost was spared. It set the benchmark for all coins from that moment on. Not only was it the FIRST pound coin (20 shillings) ever created, it was also the largest gold coin ever minted. Couple that with Henry’s eye for luxury and it was insisted to be made of a whopping 97% pure gold or 23 1/3 carat fineness. Just incredible

Let’s talk about WHAT made it special

We’ve talked about the quality of the coin and the events leading up to it’s creation but the most captivating thing about the Sovereign are the gorgeous details that adorn it. Not only was it heavy, coming in at half an ounce, but the intricate designs were impactful, carefully selected symbols and messages.

Let’s talk about the text on the obverse or front:

HENRICIUS DEI GRATIA, REX, ANGLIAE, FRANCIAE, ET HIBRNIA DNS HIB

Translated here:

“Henry by the grace of god, King of England & France & Lord of Ireland,”

On the reverse is the following passage:

IHESUS AVTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIUM ILLORVM IBAT

Translated from Luke 4:30

“but Jesus, passing through the midst of them, went His way.

I like to think this was a warning to anyone who would go against Henry. Even when he was surrounded by enemies he had god on his side and prevailed.

I need to note that Henry went on to create five styles of the coin throughout his 24 year reign. Now I don’t have the swag to use images of the other types of his Sovereign without getting copyright strikes but I do want to point out what’s unique about this one from one from the Cleveland Museum of Art courtesy of Wiki Commons. It shows the portcullis at his feet.

Henry VII type 5 Gold Sovereign 1504 - 1509

The portcullis was the Beaufort badge. Henry adopted it from his mother Margaret Beaufort and her royal lineage. This particular type of Sovereign is the 5th and final version and the only one of Henry’s that displays the portcullis. Interestingly the portcullis is showcased in this manner on all of the other Tudor Monarch’s Sovereigns.

Elizabeth I Sovereign 1583 - 1600 with the Beaufort Portcullis at her feet

If you take a close look at Henry’s coin you can see the ‘closed crown’ on his head. What I find the most fascinating about the appearance of the Sovereign is Henry’s decision to depict himself wearing a closed or “Imperial” style crown. Never before, or least not intentionally, had an English Monarch been represented wearing a closed crown on his coinage.

Now, there’s a few theories I have discovered from my research that could explain why Henry made the conscious decision to present himself wearing the closed crown:

• First: It could have been to imitate the (King of the Romans/ Holy Roman Emperor) Maximilian I’s 1487 coin (real d’or) - these two were in the early stages of their captivating frenemy saga (check out my next post to learn about that) But copying other ruler’s coins didn’t necessarily mean you were trying to steal OR pay homage, it’s just something that had been done for centuries.

• Second: Henry may have depicted himself wearing the imperial style crown to hint to an internal desire to create an “Empire” under the English crown,

• Third: Henry could have just wanted to distinguish himself from the French who were known to favor the open (circlet) crowns

The other Sovereign’s designs vary using different symbols that Henry loved to employ. Type 3, for example, has a greyhound and dragon on pillars on each side of him. We know he used the dragon as his badge at Bosworth, a perfectly poised wink to his Welsh ancestry.

The reverse images on type 1 has a larger shield covering the Tudor rose and a feature a crown on top of it. This makes it different from all the other designs.

How was it used?

Now that we know what it looks like and the symbols Henry used to project his legacy, let’s talk what about the Sovereign was actually used for. Due to it’s large sum, 20 shillings, the Sovereign would not have been used in daily transactions in 1489. The coins were recorded as being presented as diplomatic gifts, and you can see why, the whole point was to send a message about the Henry’s magnificence. Realistically it was also probably used as a store of wealth for the affluent merchants and nobility.

I wonder if Henry imagined that his introduction of the Sovereign would be as influential to the future of the country, and ultimately the empire, as it was. It’s story weaves the legacy of the Tudor dynasty into the fabric of Great Britain. Every Tudor monarch minted their own version of the iconic coin up until James I. The Scottish King ended up changing the coin’s name to the “Unite”. This ushered in a new era but King James understood the popularity of the denomination and the distinguished heritage.

As I said the Sovereign is one of the most sought after and beloved coins in the world, a true testament to my favorite monarch.

King Henry VII 1505

It’s about time to jump on the Henry VII bandwagon and give credit where credit is due: The Sovereign’s creation is considered the start of the Renaissance movement in England and inspired the trendy realistic portraiture that Henry first to introduced to the country on his lower denomination coins like the Groat.¹

If you are interested in learning more about the history of the sovereign after James I, I would love to spend more time researching it so let me know in the comments and maybe I’ll make a sequel following the Sovereign to current day.

Thank you so much for reading and spending time with me. If you found any errors let me know in the comments, I have a very open mind ;-)

Until next time,

Fair Thee Well

-Amy

1. Sources and citations:

Amin, Nathen Henry VII and the Tudor pretenders April 2021

https://nathenamin.com/2017/03/28/brittany-and-the-tudors/

https://www.richmond.gov.uk/media/6334/local_history_richmond_palace.pdf -

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/journal/curators-corner/shilling/

https://www.royalmint.com/british-monarchs/house-of-tudor/british-monarchs-henry-vii--coinage-under-the-tudor-rose/

https://www.baldwin.co.uk/product/henry-vii-sovereign-s2176-about-ef/ -

https://www.numismaticnews.net/world-coins/rare-henry-vii-sovereign-offered-in-taisei-auction.

https://www.globalexchange.es/en/currencies-of-the-world/british-pound

https://lunaticg.blogspot.com/2014/12/henry-vii-gold-sovereign-in-spink.html

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.169

https://clevelandart.org/art/1969.169|year=1504–9|access-date=28 November 2023|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Younghenry7.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_VII_groat.jpg

The origins of the Sovereign - The British Numismatic society. my favor source for this article