1557 Irish Groat. 4D.

Queen Mary was a Catholic and the Irish placed great hope in her being kind to Ireland but it was not to be. She reigned alone 1553 to 4 and then married Phillip of Spain. This Groat was made in 1557 a hammered silver coin . Uniquely Irish by the Irish harp with the English crown over with both monarchs initials either side P for Phillip and M for Mary on the reverse.
For two years from 1556 to 58 Phillip was King of both Spain and England. Philip’s reign as King of England ended immediately upon Mary I’s death on November 17, 1558. Because they had no children, the English crown passed to Mary’s half-sister, Elizabeth I. Philip attempted to maintain his influence by proposing marriage to Elizabeth, but she famously declined, ending Spain's formal claim to the English throne