England 1591 6 pence
This specimen was lot 71288 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $228. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. 6 Pence, 1591. London Mint; im: hand. Elizabeth I. PCGS VF-35 Gold Shield. Sixth issue. Obverse: Crowned and mantled bust left, wearing ruffled collar; rose to right; Reverse: Coat-of-arms over long cross fourchee. Presenting light gray surfaces with some hints of green, this hammered minor features a clear date and solid detail despite some mild wear." The government experimented with milled coinage in the 1560's but reverted to hammered coinage when output was too slow. The woolpack mintmark was used 1594-6. The shilling was 96 grains, .925 fine, so we have assigned this a weight of 48 grains. This type is priced about the same as other sixpences (S.2561, 2572, 2585).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 48 grains, 0.925 fine silver.
Catalog reference: S-2578B; N-2015.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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