Elizabeth I AD 1558-1603 Silver Sixpence AD 1580

Elizabeth I AD 1558-1603 Silver Sixpence AD 1580

5th issue

Crowned bust left with rose behind / Shield

mm. Latin Cross

S2572; 25mm, 2.59g

Elizabeth I was one of England’s most famous queens as a result of her victory over the Spanish Armada as well as the exploits of Francis Drake, Walter Rayleigh and Shakespeare.
Elizabeth was the surviving child of Henry VIII and Henry’s second wife Anne Boleyn. Born in AD 1533 and brought up as a Protestant she was declared illegitimate when her mother was beheaded and was thus rarely seen at court. When Mary became queen Elizabeth refused to renounce her faith which put her in considerable danger. For much of Mary’s reign Elizabeth was held in Hatfield House.
Upon the death of Mary Elizabeth was proclaimed queen. Her open and gracious responses quickly endeared her to her subjects particularly when she oversaw a settlement that tolerated both Catholic and Protestant worship. Still unmarried she considered marriage to Robert Dudley however objections were raised and instead a search began to find a more acceptable husband. Despite a number of proposals, including one from Mary’s husband Philip of Spain, she remained unmarried and later became known as the Virgin queen. The lack of an heir became an increasing problem which was later only resolved by the execution of Mary Queen of Scots and the nomination of Mary’s son James VI of Scotland as Elizabeth’s heir.
Elizabeth’s reign saw increasing rivalry with Spain and the establishment of England as a naval power which in turn resulted in the beginnings of empire with the establishment of the East India Company.
Elizabeth’s reign is interesting numismatically due to the large number of different denominations issued. Her reign also saw the first introduction of milled coinage when silver shillings and sixpences were introduced between AD 1561 and 1570. Despite their high quality these coins were only issued for a few years and were not to re appear again until the reign of Charles I.