1554 Sixpence – Philip and Mary

1554 Sixpence Philip and Mary Obverse

The 1554 Sixpence - Philip and Mary

This is a silver sixpence of Philip & Mary dated 1554. It was minted at the Tower Mint in London with a diameter 27mm and weighing 2.87g. SCBC 2505. There are some variants.

The Obverse shows the busts of Philip and Mary facing each other, crown and date above.

The Reverse shows a crowned coat-of-arms. Crown above. The "V I" flanking the crown is the value in Roman numerals, VI is six pence.

Images used by permission of CNGCoins.


Mintage: Not known
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 1554 ?
Monarch is Queen Mary I. After her marriage to Philip of Spain on 25 July 1554 they become co-monarchs as Philip and Mary. Lady Jane Grey is executed for treason. Sir Thomas Wyatt led a rebellion against the proposed marriage to Philip but is beaten. Mary's sister, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I), is imprisoned in the Tower of London, suspected of being involved in Wyatt's rebellion.
Mary I - Philip and Mary (Mary 1553-54 - Philip and Mary 1554-58)
This was the co-monarch by marriage of Queen Mary I of England and Philip II of Spain. Mary was born on 18 February 1516, the child of Henry VIII by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It was thought a good idea to improve relations between England and Spain by arranging the 37 year-old Mary to marry the 26 year-old Prince Philip of Spain. Mary fell in love on first sight, but Philip was not as keen.

Mary became Queen in 1553, and married Philip in 1554 and as co-monarchs they jointly appeared on coins. When Mary died in 1558 aged 42, that was also the end of Philip's claim and Mary's sister became Queen Elizabeth I.
Category: Sixpences

The Sixpence (half a shilling) was a British silver coin that was first minted 1551 and virtually continuously until decimalisation in 1971. They were often known as 'tanners'. They are small coins, the last minted had a diameter of about 19.4 mm.

Specifications:

  • Year Minted: 1551-1970
  • Diameter: 19.41 mm
  • Weight: 2.83g (1816-1970)
  • Edge: Milled
  • Metal: 
    • 1551–1816: Silver
    • 1816–1920: 92.5% Silver
    • 1920–1946: 50% Silver
    • 1947–1970 Cupronickel. Zero Silver

In today's money they are 2½p. It doesn't sound much but at the time it was a weeks pocket money! It was a popular coin when in circulation and is now popular with collectors as it has a long history and many nice specimens can be obtained at affordable prices.

Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. 

Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.

Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Sixpences page on eBay UK
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1554-1558 Silver Groat Fourpence Coin Philip & Mary Hammered
1554-1558 Silver Groat Fourpence Coin Philip & Mary Hammered
£ 229.00
Philip and Mary 1555  Shilling Scarce  F+
Philip and Mary 1555 Shilling Scarce F+
£ 440.00
PHILIP AND MARY (1554-1558). SILVER SHILLING. DATED 1554.
PHILIP AND MARY (1554-1558). SILVER SHILLING. DATED 1554.
£ 170.00
1554 Philip and Mary Hammered Silver Shilling 4.528g CO21BC
1554 Philip and Mary Hammered Silver Shilling 4.528g CO21BC
£ 110.00
Philip and Mary Groat
Philip and Mary Groat
£ 150.00
Philip and Mary, Shilling, 1554. Full Titles, Mark of Value. S2500. Nice.
Philip and Mary, Shilling, 1554. Full Titles, Mark of Value. S2500. Nice.
£ 485.00
Philip And Mary  1554-58 Hammered 925 Silver 4d Groat ( MM Lis, Tower Mint)
Philip And Mary 1554-58 Hammered 925 Silver 4d Groat ( MM Lis, Tower Mint)
£ 99.99
PHILIP AND MARY 1551 SILVER SHILLING HALLMARKED SILVER PROOF FROM THE LMO - coa
PHILIP AND MARY 1551 SILVER SHILLING HALLMARKED SILVER PROOF FROM THE LMO - coa
£ 59.95

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