Article
29 October 2024
IMMORTALISING HENRY V AND PADRAIG PEARSE
More than 600 years after his death, Henry V (1413-1422) remains the last great warrior King of England, immortalised by Shakespeare, most notably in the St Crispin's Day speech.
Although his impact on the Hundred Years War may have been great, his reign was relatively short at just nine years, before he succumbed – probably to dysentery – at the Chateau de Vincennes aged 35.
A comparatively short reign also meant a relatively limited issue of coinage, with Henry V coins including the Penny, Halfpenny, silver Groat, Quarter Noble and Noble.
This sale included a gold Noble in fine condition apart from some wear ion the king's face
and part of the pierced cross. The hammer fell at £3,400.
Another highlight was a gold medal marking the 50th Anniversary of the Easter Rising in Dublin. Struck in 1966, the design was by Paul Vincze, the Hungarian sculptor, who also created a set of coins for Malawi and won the first gold medal of the American Numismatic Association in the same year that he created the Easter Rising 50th Anniversary design.
Depicting a bust of Padraig Pearse right on the obverse, the reverse shows a kneeling male and seated female with flags. Brilliant and virtually as struck, it sold for £3,200.
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