Great Britain 1551 Edward VI Six Pence F-VF (F15) $

Great Britain 1551 Edward VI Six Pence F-VF (F-15)

The Great Britain 1551 Edward VI Six Pence marks the official introduction of the sixpence denomination into English currency, following the period known as the Great Debasement. Initiated under Henry VIII and continued by his son Edward VI, the debasement was a fiscal strategy to raise revenue for the crown, particularly for warfare, by drastically reducing the silver content of coins and substituting cheaper metals like copper. This led to runaway inflation and widespread public distrust of the coinage, with the Testoon, a 12-pence coin, containing so little silver that its intrinsic value was far below its face value. The 1551 sixpence was part of Edward VI’s major effort to reverse the debasement and stabilize the currency by revaluing the old, debased Testoon to its actual metallic worth of six pence, thereby creating a permanent sixpence denomination. Struck to the fine silver standard, the highest-purity silver used in Tudor coinage, the 1551 sixpence circulated as a reliable and high-quality coin. By clearly marking its value as VI (6), the crown signaled a commitment to restoring confidence and honest money, formally ending the era of the Great Debasement, though the process was not completed until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I during the Great Recoinage of 1560-61. 

Obverse: Facing crowned bust, rose to left and denomination to right, legend around. 

Reverse: Quartered shield of arms over long cross fourchée, legend around.

Specifications:
King: Edward VI (1547-1553) 
Composition: Silver (.929) 
Weight: 3 g 
Diameter: 27 mm 
Die Axis: ↑↑
Edge: Plain 
Mint: Royal Mint (Tower of London)