2 Pounds 2011 Mary Rose
By Coinsanduk | Tuesday, 15 April 2025
In 1509, England was vulnerable to attack from enemy ships. The new King, Henry VIII was determined to build a strong defence and gain supremacy over the seas, so began a programme of naval building.
The Mary Rose, the first ship to carry cannons able to fire a broadside from watertight gun ports, was the pride of his Navy and embarked on her maiden voyage in 1511.
A detailed image of the legendary ship has been struck with detail into a limited edition 2011 £2 coin marking the 500th anniversary of the 1511 launch. The edge inscription reads: YOUR NOBLEST SHIPPE 1511, taken from a letter written by Sir Edward Howard, Lord Admiral onboard the Mary Rose, to the King, 22 March 1513.
England was suffering in 1509. The whole South coast of Britain was at risk of attack from French ships, and the new king Henry VIII wanted to build a strong Tudor navy. Exactly where he built the Mary Rose is not clear, although Portsmouth is very likely.
However, in 1511 the new pride of the Navy Royal was launched, named perhaps after the King’s favourite sister or perhaps after the Virgin Mary.
Contrary to popular belief, Mary Rose was probably not named after Henry’s younger sister, Mary: rather her name reflected a link between the spiritual and the temporal by proclaiming the glory of the English monarch through combining the name of the Virgin Mary with the rose, the symbol of the House of Tudor.
Military action was quick to follow and the ship’s first battle was in 1512, perhaps the first ever sea battle in the Channel using heavy guns fired through ports.
The Mary Rose had a successful military career. By the time she was defending the Solent in 1544, she was seen as one of the largest and best equipped ships in the fleet, especially thanks to major improvements that had taken place over many years from 1522.
When around 200 French ships attacked in the Solent in July 1545, the ship faced real danger but nobody was expecting what happened next. During battle, the Mary Rose heeled (leaned) heavily to starboard, and water rushed in through the gun ports. She sank quickly, and fewer than 35 of the 400 crew survived. Theories on the cause range from top-heavy design to insubordination, but simple handling error is most likely.
Artist John Bergdahl has created the design on the coin that shows the Mary Rose in her prime, complete with the all-important banners and streamers that made Tudor vessels instantly recognisable.
The carrack Tudor warship profile is clearly shown, with the high castles fore and aft and with an impressive number of heavy guns. Looking at the stern of the ship, it is easy to see the gradually narrowing width of the decks, designed to make the ship more stable and to make boarding more difficult.
The special reverse was inspired by the drawing of her included in the pictorial survey of Henry VIII's navy compiled in 1546 by an official in the ordnance office.
Originally comprising three rolls of vellum, the manuscript features paintings of each of the king's 58 ships, below which are set details of their guns, shot, and related equipment. Several of the illustrations have become familiar, especially that of the Mary Rose, herself already a wreck when the work was presented to the king.
After a trip to the museum currently the home to the Mary Rose, I was immediately inspired by the only acknowledged painting of this iconic vessel – an image that I used as the basis for my design.
- John Bergdahl
Gold and silver commemorative £2 coins also have been struck, to Proof quality, and the Mary Rose stands out in frosted relief against the polished table of the coins.
