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Mary I, 1553-1558
Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of
Aragon, was the first English queen to reign in her own right. A
precocious child, she was fluent in Latin and studied Spanish, Italian,
and French. After she became Queen, Mary desperately sought a husband
who would love her and with whom she could produce an heir to the
throne. But this was not to be. Her eventual marriage in 1554 to Philip
II of Spain was an unhappy alliance both personally and diplomatically.
He demanded that he be given the title "King of England," which demands
Mary granted. However, he was never crowned, for Parliament refused to
give its consent. Philip was a king in name but not in function. Indeed,
he had little interest in England and no real love for Mary. His
overriding concerns were to maintain the supremacy of Spain in Europe
and to bring about the triumph of Catholicism over the Reformation.
Mary had an indenture made with Thomas Edgerton and Thomas Stanley to
restore her gold coins to the old standard of 23kts. Many of her coins,
including the fine sovereign and the ryal, are extremely rare,
particularly in the superb condition these specimens exhibit.
The Gold Coins of Mary I
 Legend
Angel value 10 shillings, wt. 5.09 grams.
1553-1554, Maria obv., Tower Mint, VF
Obverse features St. George slaying the dragon.
Angel value 10 shillings, wt. 4.97 grams.
1554-1558, Philip and Maria obv., Tower Mint, VF
The reverse show a ship with the royal arms in the center, "P" and "M"
divided by the mast.
Ryal value 15 shillings, wt. 7.43 grams.
1553-1554, radiate rose reverse, Tower Mint, VF
One of 11 known specimens, the obverse of this coin shows Mary standing
with shield and sword on a boat; the reverse features a radiate rose
surrounded by the queen's coat of arms.
Sovereign of 30 value 30 shillings, wt. 15.13 grams.
1554, MDLIIII, Tower Mint, EF
Dated with Roman numerals (MDLIIII, i.e. 1554), this is the finest of
six known.
Sovereign of 30 value 30 shillings, wt. 14.84 grams.
1553-1554, Tudor rose reverse, Tower Mint, EF
The reverse inscription translates as "This is the Lord's doing and it
is marvelous in our eyes.
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