[ 157 J 
XV. 
m TESTOONS OP HENRY YIII., WITH DETAILS OE AIST 
UNDESCRIBED TESTOON OE THE BEISTOL MINT, 
COmED BY SIR WILLIAM SHARINGTOi^. By W. 
ERAZER, E.R.C.S.I., Member of Council, R. I. A. 
[Read May 14, 1888.] 
ILVER coinages struck during the reign of Henry the Eighth are dis- 
.nguished by their progressive deterioration in intrinsic value, and by 
icreasing adulteration of the silver used in their fabrication. After he 
scended the throne on 22nd April, 1509, his first issue of coinage 
onsisted of silver of the recognised standard, and each penny piece 
reighed twelve grains. He utilized for his dies the side-face portrait 
nployed in striking his father's coins, economically adding to the YII. 
I the old inscription another stroke, which by a simple process became 
illl. So matters continued until the commencement of the eighteenth 
Bar of his rule, when a special side-faced portrait of his own was en- 
raved to take the place of that of his father. The silver bullion con- 
nued to be maintained at standard, but the weight of the penny was 
duced to 10|- grains, and so rateably other silver coins were struck 
tjcording to this diminished valuation. 
A more serious change for the worse was introduced in the thirty- 
urth year of Henry's reign, when the silver coinage known as his 
iiird issue was made. This corresponds in time from April, 1542, to 
pril, 1543. They consist of a silver adulterated to the extent of ten 
imces of the pure metal mixed with two ounces of alloy, and the 
eight of the silver penny was reduced to ten grains. In addition to 
le usual series of silver coins, consisting of groats, half -groats, pence, 
id halfpence, which had been struck during every successive reign 
ace the days of Edward III., for the first time a new coin appears, 
e Testoon, an important monetary novelty, for it was the direct pre- 
icessor of our shilling, a name given to it in the succeeding reign of 
iward YI. On this testoon the monarch was represented crowned, 
royal robes, with full-faced actual portrait, instead of the ideal 
ngly figure found on all our earlier English coins previous to the 
bter part of the reign of Henry YII. 
