Cleveland Museum of Art

Sovereign: Mary Enthroned (obverse); Shield of Royal Arms on a Tudor Rose (reverse)

Date: 1553
Medium: gold
Culture: England, Mary, 1553-1554
Department: Medieval Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

Upon ascending the throne, Mary announced that she would restore the coinage to its full value. This sovereign of thirty shillings is of standard gold, 23 carats, 3 1/2 grains. The fine silver pieces of the reign were in metal, 11 oz. fine. These coins are thus of the same fineness as were those of Edward VI; the silver is, in fact, 1 dwt. poorer. This coin is rare and similar to another in the collection from Edward VI, 1969.177 . Mary I was the only Tudor monarch to include dates on a sovereign. Roman numerals at the end of the obverse inscription read 1553. Mary I, Queen of England from 1553–58, was also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" to her opponents.

View at Cleveland Museum of Art ↗

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.