Sovereigns and the Church: York and Durham Silver Coins of Henry VII and Henry VIII

Two silver 'sovereign' pennies, one of Henry VII and the other his son Henry VIII, attracted me due to their association with places I am very familiar with, York and Durham. They were also minted in the context of the early years of the Tudor dynasty, a time of dramatic changes in official stances on religion. The pennies offer an interesting glimpse into royal and ecclesiastical power during the transition from the late medieval to the early modern age. 

The Henry VII sovereign penny shown below was minted at York under the authority of Archbishop Rotherham. The obverse shows the enthroned king holding orb and sceptre, while the keys under the royal shield on the reverse are the mark of Rotherham’s authority. As the founder of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII (1485–1509) aimed to stabilise the realm following the Wars of the Roses. The penny emphasises his legitimacy as rightful monarch on the obverse, while the reverse linked secular kingship to the religious order.

 Fig. 1. Henry VII sovereign penny, York Mint, under the authority of Archbishop Rotherham

The Henry VIII Sovereign Penny shown below was minted at Durham Mint, under the authority of Bishop Tunstall. Again, the obverse exhibits the enthroned king, while the reverse shows the initials C (for Cuthbert) and D (for Durham) on either side of the royal shield. This coin was issued under the ecclesiastical authority of Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall during the early Reformation. Under Henry VIII (1509–1547), coinage gradually shifted in weight and fineness, reflecting the Crown’s growing financial pressures. Early in his reign, the silver sovereign penny retained much of the traditional style of his father’s issues (as shown above in Fig. 1). However, later debasements during the 1540s dramatically reduced silver content, due to a need for funds during a time of war and religious upheaval, the proceeds of the Reformation having been already spent.

 

Fig. 2. Henry VIII Sovereign Penny, Durham Mint, under the authority of Bishop Tunstall

Senior clergymen were often directly involved in the administration of a royal mint or in broader fiscal governance and this is the case for the two pennies shown here.

Archbishop Thomas Rotherham of York (1423–1500) had previously served as Lord Chancellor, and was a key statesman under Edward IV and Richard III before Henry VII’s accession following the battlefield death of Richard III. Although his influence waned under the Tudors, his career illustrates the interweaving of clerical and royal power in the governance of the realm. His role in finance and administration meant that the coinage reforms of the late 15th century were tied to men like him who straddled church and state. 

Born in Rotherham, Yorkshire, Thomas Rotherham rose through the ranks through a combination of educational excellence (at Eton and King’s College Cambridge), royal service, and ecclesiastical acumen. His offices included Keeper of the Privy Seal, Bishop of Rochester and Lincoln, twice serving as Lord Chancellor, and ultimately Archbishop of York from 1480 until his death in 1500 (Wikipedia).

Rotherham’s political progress wasn’t always smooth—during Richard III's takeover in 1483, his loyalty to the Woodvilles led to his brief imprisonment. Under Henry VII, he briefly resumed the chancellorship before retiring from public service. Beyond politics, Rotherham was a noted benefactor: he supported Lincoln College, Oxford, contributed to Cambridge University, and founded the “College of Jesus” in his hometown of Rotherham to educate promising boys in grammar and music.

The career of bishop Cuthbert Tunstall of Durham (1474–1559) stretched across the reigns of both Henry VII and Henry VIII, and into the reign of Elizabeth I. As Bishop of Durham, a semi-independent palatinate with its own minting rights, Tunstall’s authority directly intersected with the production of coinage. Learned, cautious, and politically adept, he helped oversee financial and legal matters for Henry VIII, including during the tumultuous years of the Reformation. 

Cuthbert Tunstall was from Hackforth in Yorkshire, reportedly an illegitimate son of a knight, and became one of the most learned and adaptable churchmen of his age. Educated at Oxford, Cambridge, and Padua, he cultivated friendships with Thomas More and Erasmus and distinguished himself as a scholar fluent in Greek, Latin, law, and theology. Tunstall served as Bishop of London from 1522, then was translated to Durham in 1530, inheriting quasi-regal authority in this palatinate region (Wikipedia). He presided over the Council of the North, handled delicate diplomacy with Scotland, and played a moderating role during the Reformation—supporting Catholic doctrine while eventually accepting Henry VIII's supremacy. Despite his flexibility, Tunstall resisted outright Protestant reforms such as the 1549 Act of Uniformity, was imprisoned and deprived under Edward VI, but later reinstated under Mary I. Under Elizabeth I, his refusal to take the Oath of Supremacy led to deprivation again and confinement in Lambeth, where he died in 1559. Contemporary historians describe him as a figure of “invincible moderation”—a humanist driven by clarity and intellectual humility rather than factional ambition.

For Henry VII and Henry VIII, the silver sovereign pennies projected stability and legitimacy after civil war. For bishops and archbishops they represented their partnership with, and sometimes subordination to, the Crown.