Articles
|
|
Articles |
|
|
I've got sixpence, jolly, jolly sixpence,
I've got sixpence to last me all my life. So goes the scouting campfire song. The sixpence has also been immortalized in nursery rhymes 
and in the famous wedding poem.
For a numismatist, the sixpence could very well last you all your
life. Practically every country in the United Kingdom and its former colonies
and protectorates has issued a sixpence coin. The British sixpence alone
has a rich history of over 400 years. It would be very easy to specialize
in collecting and studying sixpence and make it a life's work. Since there
are so many versions to choose from, this article will focus only on the
British sixpence. A sixpence is a silver coin equal in value to six pennies, or pence. Under the British pre-decimal pound/shilling/pence (£sd) system, a pound was valued at 240 pence. One pound was equal to 20 shillings and a shilling was equal to 12 pence. |
| The first sixpence was a hammered coin issued by Edward VI in 1551. It immediately became popular due to its high quality silver composition. The sixpence has been a popular coin ever since. Hammered coins were produced by placing the flan, or blank between two dies, and then striking the upper die with a hammer. This is one of the oldest means of making coins. |
 |
| Image courtesy of The Silver Sixpence Company |
| The first sixpence coins to carry a date were made during the reign of Mary and Philip (of Spain) in 1554. These coins also featured the two busts of Philip and Mary facing each other. Philip was disliked by the English people and his portrait on the coins was often defaced. (The coin at right is a shilling, but it shows the viv-a-vis orientation of the obverse.) |  |
|
Image courtesy of York
Coins
|
| Large numbers of sixpence were produced during the reign of Elizabeth I. They are not usually found as nice as the one pictured, but they can be readily identified by the rose to the right of Elizabeth's head. The first milled sixpence were made during this period, but only briefly. |
  |
| The sixpence of James I followed the Elizabethan style. |   |
| Coins minted during the civil war era of Charles I are usually found well worn. There are many varieties, due to the many regional mints that were established to produce coins. |
  |
|
The above three images are courtesy of Barry Johnson
at
http://www.english-hammered-coins.com/index.html |
| The last hammered coins were made during the reign of Charles II. After 1662, all coins were milled (machine made). Many of these coining machines were located in water-driven mills, hence the name "milled" coins. |
 |
| An interesting feature of some coins is the inclusion of a provenance mark which indicated the source of the silver from which the coin was made. The coinage of William III as well as Queen Anne used plumes to indicate that the silver used was from Welsh mines and roses to indicate silver from English mines. Queen Anne also used plumes and roses to indicate the silver was from "The Company for smelting down Lead with Pitcoale and Seacole". The 1703 Queen Anne sixpence has VIGO below the head, indicating that the silver captured from the |   |
| Spanish in 1702 in Vigo Bay was used to make the coin. |
The above two images are courtesy of Sylvester
at
http://www.coinpeople.com |
| Below are examples of George II provenance marks. (Also courtesy of Sylvester) | |
    |
|
| obverse plumes roses plumes & roses |
| The British coinage system underwent a major overhaul in 1816 during the reign of George III. The sixpence was reduced in weight and diameter from 3.0g and 21mm to 2.8g and 19mm. The silver content remained at 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, called sterling silver, which was the standard set by Henry II. At right is an old style 1787 sixpence. |
  |
|
A new style 1819 sixpence.
When the new coinage was issued in 1816, all silver and gold coins that had been issued previously were demonetized. |
  |
|
The above two images are courtesy of Tony Clayton
at
http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/coins.html |
| The sixpence of William IV were the first to have the words 'SIX PENCE' spelled out. |
  |
|
Image courtesy of Sylvester at
http://www.coinpeople.com |
| Queen Victoria's sixpence are the most plentiful. During her 64 year reign, more than one million sixpence were minted each year. For her Golden Jubilee (50 years as Queen), the sixpence design was changed. Unfortunately, the results were similar to what happened with our 1913 no-cents Liberty Head nickel. The reverse design resembled that of the half sovereign so closely that some unscrupulous souls gilded the sixpence and passed them off as gold coins. The 'SIX PENCE' reverse was soon reissued. |
  |
| In 1920, during the reign of George V, the silver content of all British silver coins was reduced to 50%. Also, in 1926, the lion and crown reverse was changed to oak branches bearing six acorns. (Interestingly, the three pence coin had three acorns.) |
  |
| The old reverse from 1914 |
 |
| In 1947, under the reign of George VI, the composition of British coins was changed again to eliminate silver completely from circulating coins. The sixpence was now made of a copper-nickel alloy. |
  |
|
The above images are all courtesy of Tony Clayton
at www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/coins.html
|
| The last British sixpence was minted in 1967 under the reign of Elizabeth II, except for a special 1970 proof set which included a sixpence. They continued to circulate as legal tender, as were all sixpence minted after 1816. In 1971, the old pound, shilling, pence system gave way to new coinage based on the decimal system. At that time the sixpence was revalued at two and a half pence. They were finally demonetized in 1980. |
 |
| Even though the British sixpence is no longer a legal tender coin, it still enjoys an enormous popularity. It is still a highly sought after item in wedding preparations and everyone should have a lucky sixpence in their pocket. | |
| Silver Sixpence Company, A Brief History of the Sixpence - http://www.silver6pence.com/acatalog/History.html |
| Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK - http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/coins.html |
| British Money - http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/British_Money.html |
| British Kings and Queens and their Coinage - http://www.spink.com/services/collectables/kings&queens.asp |
| British Coinage - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/British_coinage |
| Gold and Silver Standards - http://www.cyberussr.com/hcunn/gold-std.html#britain |