AN IMPORTANT HENRY VII BRONZE WOOL WEIGHT, CIRCA 1495. Of sh...

Hammer

£8,000

AN IMPORTANT HENRY VII BRONZE WOOL WEIGHT, CIRCA 1495. Of shield shape, cast with the Royal Arms of England, with square piercing for suspension, stamped with the royal crowned cipher 'h' four times, a possible foundry mark near aperture, and a probable verification mark to top corner, stamped initials' ELA' and 'IIV' above aperture, typical circular cavity to rear, 14cm diameter, 9.5cm wide. Although the arms and cipher may refer to either Henry VII or VIII the English national system of weights and measures underwent a complete reform, circa 1495, under the reign of Henry VII and principally not again until the reign of Elizabeth I. The cipher is also lower case, rather than a capital 'H', which is more commonly associated with Henry VIII. For a comparable Henry VII wool weight, one of a pair, see the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge, acc. no. 1883.821. A-B. See also the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, for a comparable Elizabeth I example, M.962-1926.