Henry VII Irish Halfpenny

The Henry VII Irish halfpenny was struck using recycled silver, likely from melted-down foreign coins circulating in Ireland at the time.

This made for unpredictable quality; some pieces ended up lighter or irregularly shaped, reflecting the era's makeshift minting practices. We know these halfpence featured a simple design, probably with the king's portrait on one side and a cross or harp on the other, though exact die variations remain poorly documented. Mintage figures? Lost to history, much like so many records from that turbulent period.

Exact production dates within his reign are hazy; they could have been issued anytime between 1485 and 1509, but pinning it down is futile without surviving archives. As a Tudor silver fraction, it served as small change in a land still grappling with economic instability.

Irish coins from this king often fooled counterfeiters, who couldn't quite replicate the crude style.