Henry VII Irish Penny

The most striking feature of the Henry VII Irish penny is its introduction of a profile bust on Irish coinage, a design borrowed from English issues to assert royal authority across the Irish Sea.

This silver penny, minted in Dublin during his reign from 1485 to 1509, typically shows the king with a crown and a simple cross on the reverse. Struck on hand-hammered flans, often irregular due to the mint's rudimentary tools, these coins reflect the era's metallurgy limitations. We know the Dublin mint operated under English oversight, but exact production figures are murky—records from that period are scarce.

Some specimens bear faint strikes, hinting at rushed production amid political unrest. As for myths, I've heard tales of these pennies funding Tudor adventures, but that's likely exaggeration; they were just currency. The odd irregular edge might make one wonder if the minters were half-asleep.

Exact dates for subtypes remain debated among scholars, with no definitive catalog from the time.