Coin Collection #9 "Great Britain SIX pence, 1957" British pre-decimal coin
Pictures
Observe
In this part of "CC"#9 I will tell you why, this coin (and the coin from "CC"#8) are called pre-decimal coins.
The sixpence was a coin nominal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
It is an English half shillings, first minted under Edward VI in 1551 (in silver until 1946, in cupronickel from 1947 to 1970). In 1971, with the introduction of the decimal system, it was valid 2½ new pence, in 1973 it officially became invalid, but remained in use as a vending machine coin. Only in 1980 the sixpence was finally taken out of circulation.
Ireland had its own sixpence until 1971, designed by William Butler Yeats.
Sixpence are a widespread symbol of luck, especially in Great Britain. They are traditionally baked into Christmas puddings and Queen guitarist Brian May uses such a coin to play his guitar (Red Special) instead of a plectrum.
The system
| old pond sterling | new pound (divided by 100) |
|---|---|
| 4 Farthings | = 1 Penny |
| 12 Pence | = 1 Shilling |
| 2 Shillings | = 1 Florin |
| 5 Shillings | = 1 Crown |
| 20 Shillings | = 1 Pound (Sovereign) |
| 21 Shillings | = 1 Guinea |
The original weight of these coins was 1/11 troy ounce (43.6 grains). Under the Coinage Act of 1946, the composition changed from .500 silver to .750 copper/.250 nickel but the weight remained at 43.6 grains.
Fact sheet
| Type of information | specific information |
|---|---|
| Country | Great Britain |
| Value | six pence |
| Year | 1957 |
| Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
| Effigy | Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait, by Mary Gillick |
| Age | Queen Elizabeth II (1953 - 1967) |
| Coin type | circulation coins |
| Ruler | Elizabeth II. |
| Material | Copper-Nickel-Alloy (former silver) |
| Weight | 2.83 g |
| Diameter | 19.3 mm |
| Thickness | 1.2 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Form | Round |
| Alignment | Medal orientation (0°) |
| Issue limit: | 150.6 million |
| Designer: | Mary Gillick, Edgar Fuller, Cecil Thomas |
Observe
- Young laureate portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II right, legend around.
- ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA (Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God Queen )
Reverse
- Tudor rose, shamrock, thistle and leek aligned in a cross, legend above, denomination and date below.
- FID· DEF·E.F C.T
- SIX PENCE·1967
- Defender of the Faith