Crown of the Double Rose: Crowned Double Rose (obverse); Crowned Royal Arms (Cleveland Museum of Art 1969.172)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1526–33
For the first time the Crown of the Double Rose makes it appearance. On these coins the motto Rutilans Rosa Sine Spine, a dazzling rose without a thorn, follows the king's name on the obverse.
The crowned initials on either side of the rose are those of Henry and his first queen, Katherine (or Catherine) of Aragon. Since Henry divorced Katherine in 1533, the date of this piece must fall between 1526 and 1533. It was this divorce which helped to bring about the fall of the famous Cardinal Wolsey, the beheadings of Sir Thomas More and Bishop Fisher, and the separation of the English Church from that of Rome.
Cleveland Museum of Art object 1969.172: Crown of the Double Rose: Crowned Double Rose (obverse); Crowned Royal Arms (reverse), 1526–33. England, Henry VIII, 1509-1547. Gold; diameter: 2.5 cm (1 in.). Inscribed: HENRIC VIII RUTILANS ROSA SINE SPINE (Henry VIII a dazzling rose without a thorn.); DEI GR ANGLIE Z FRANC DNS HIBERNIE (By the Grace of God, King of England, France, Lord of Ireland). Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 3
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Henry VIII placed the initials of three of his queens on some of his coins, the only occasion on which this has been done on the English coinage.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
- Measurements
- Diameter: 2.5 cm (1 in.)
- Material and technique
- gold
Design
- Inscriptions
- HENRIC VIII RUTILANS ROSA SINE SPINE (Henry VIII a dazzling rose without a thorn.); DEI GR ANGLIE Z FRANC DNS HIBERNIE (By the Grace of God, King of England, France, Lord of Ireland)
Identification
- Date recorded
- 1526–33
- Culture period
- England, Henry VIII, 1509-1547
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1969.172
- Published references
- Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection. [Catalog. 1968. p. 31
- Museum classification
- Coins
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider coin type and standard catalogue references against numismatic literature.