The 1696 Sixpence - William III (3526 York, Stops)Silver Sixpence of King William III. Minted at the York Mint in 1696. The York Mint was set up as part of the Great Recoinage of 1696 and the mint mark of 'y' can be seen on the Obverse below the bust. Diameter 21mm, weighs 2.975g. SCBC: 3526.
The Great Recoinage led to a massive number of coin variations and there are probably more than fifty (yes, 50) variants of the William III sixpence.
The Obverse shows the laureated bust of the King William III facing right. Legend around is "GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA". Mint mark 'y' below bust
The edge has diagonal milling.
The Reverse shows crowned Royal shields of England, Scotland, Ireland and France. This variant has large crowns and the early harp type. At the centre is the arms of the House Nassau, representing William. Legend "MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX 1696". Date divided across the top crown.Image credit: Museums Victoria
Click to Check these on eBay UK
Mintage: Not known
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 1696 ?
Monarch is King William III. The Great Recoinage of 1696: The Parliament of England passes the Recoinage Act which was an attempt by the English Government to replace the hammered silver that made up most of the coinage in circulation, much of it being clipped and badly worn. It was not entirely successful. Shortage of silver coinage forces the guinea to be officially revalued at 21 shillings, instead of 30 shillings. Window tax introduced.
William III (1694-1702)
William III, also widely known as William of Orange, was sovereign Prince of Orange from birth. He was born in Binnenhof, South Holland, Netherlands.William III was King of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702, co-reigning with his wife, Queen Mary II (m. 1677–1694, her death). He was also know as King Billy.
The regnal years for William III coins were:
1699:UNDECIMO; 1700:DVODECIMO; 1701:DECIMO TERTIO.
On coins, William is usually spelled as latin: Gulielmus III.
General Description: 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.
There is also an on-line shop at The Royal Mint Shop
.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
List of items on:
eBay USA
On eBay UK: | William III, England, Sixpence, Bristol, 1696 B, Very Fine Details £ 35.00 |
| 1696 Sixpence - 1st Bust William III - Gilt But A Truly Beautiful Specimen £ 67.50 |
| 1696 King William III Silver Sixpence £ 165.00 |
| 1696 Bristol B/E Sixpence - William III 3rd - A Good Entry Level Specimen £ 20.00 |
 | 1696 William III First bust silver Sixpence GF £ 55.00 |
 | 1696 WILLIAM III SILVER SIXPENCE IN VERY FINE CONDITION £ 65.00 |
 | 1696 AUNC William III Silver Sixpence ESC 1533 CGS 70, MS60-61 £ 245.00 |
 | 1696 York Mint William III Silver Sixpence Coin £ 125.00 |
List of items on: