Edward VI. (1547 to 1553.)
Denominations.—Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Testoon or Shilling, Sixpence, Groat, Threepence, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing. Gold. Treble-sovereign, Double-sovereign, Sovereign or Double-rial, Half-sovereign, Quarter-sovereign or Crown, Half-crown, Six-angel, Angel, Angelet.
Obverse.—Type. First coinage, which is base in the same degree as Henry VIII.’s last coinage. Testoon, etc., profile, crowned with an open arched crown; Penny and Halfpenny, some with crowned profile, others with the royal rose. Farthing, portcullis.
Later coinages. Crown, the king in armour, crowned, sword drawn, on horseback; to the right, under the horse, the date. Half-crown, the same, sometimes with the addition of a plume on the horse’s head. Shilling, Sixpence, and Threepence, fullfaced bust of king in robes, with the chain of the Order of the Garter round his neck, crowned, a rose on the left, and the value on the right side of the head. Penny, king enthroned, crowned ball and sceptre in his hands, or royal rose.
Legend. E. ED. EDWAR. EDWARD. EDOARD. EDOVARD. or EDWARDVS. VI. or 6.—D. DEI.—G. GRA.—AGL. ANGL.—FRA. FRANCIE. Z.—HIB. HIBE. HIBER.—REX. etc. Testoon, TIMOR DOMINI FONS VITE. MDXLIX. or MDXL.2—likewise on reverse, INIMICOS EIVS INDVAM CONFVSIONE. Penny, E. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA. Crown, SCVTUM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM; or RVTILANS ROSA SINE SPINA. Half-sovereign, SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM MDXLVIII3; or LVCERNA PEDIBVS MEIS VERBVM TVVM.
Reverse.—Type. One Testoon has the arms of France and England in an oval shield mantled; all others have the cross fleury, and plain shield of France and England quarterly. Farthing, cross and pellets.
Legend. POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM and its abbreviations, and town names. Other legends are E. R. INIMICOS EIVS INDVAM CONFVSIONE; TIMOR DOMINE FONS VITE; IHS. AVTE TRANSIE PER MED ILLOR IBAT; SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM; PER CRVCEM TVAM SALVA NOS XPE. RED.; IHESV. AVTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT; and on some the titles appear.
Rarity. Gold coins rare, some extremely so. Silver, first coinage, the Testoon, Groat, Half-groat, and Penny, rare; all his last are tolerably common, with the exception of the Crown, Half-crown, and Penny. Halfpenny and Farthing rare.
Gold.Treble-sovereigns, with the king in robes, and crowned, seated on the throne, drawn sword in right, and orb in left, hand; reverse, royal arms, with supporters, a lion and a dragon. Double-sovereigns, similar figure, but with sceptre instead of sword; a portcullis at his feet. Sovereign, same as Double-sovereign, or a half-length figure of the king in profile, in armour, crowned, sword in right hand, orb in left; reverse, arms of France and England, crowned, with or without lion and dragon supporters; beneath, on the mantling, E. R.; others have the same type as the foregoing. Half-sovereigns, king in chair of state; half-length figure, and bust crowned, etc.