Richard III AD 1483-1485 Silver Penny York mm. boars head *Exceptional*

Richard III AD 1483-1485 Silver Penny

Archbishop Rotherham

mm. boars head

York mint

This exceptional coin is the best penny of Richard III we can find, in that it shows a good portrait, clear Boars Head mint mark and RIC. If you know of a better example please let us know!

S2166; 15mm, 0.72g

This coin comes with a rough find area provenance.

Richard III was the younger brother of Edward IV and one of the principal Yorkists during the War of the Roses. Created Duke of Gloucester when Edward became king he was an able administrator and was responsible for governing much of northern England during the reign of his brother. When Edward died suddenly in AD 1483 Richard was nominated Lord Protector. Conflict with the Woodvilles resulted in Richard imprisoning the two sons of Edward IV in the Tower. When a bishop then declared that the princes were illegitimate Richard claimed the throne and was crowned in place of Edward V in July AD 1483.
A rebellion by the Duke of Buckingham in the autumn of AD 1483 was quickly put down however in the summer of AD 1485 Henry Tudor landed in Wales with an army raised in France. The 2 armies met at Bosworth Fields where Richard was defeated and killed. Richard’s body has recently been found beneath a car park and has now been reburied in Leicester Cathedral. Richard was the last English king to be killed in battle and is also the last of the last of the Plantagenets.