Edward VI (1547-53), silver Crown of Five Shillings, 1551, Fine Silver issue, King on horseback right, date below in Arabic numerals, wire line and beaded inner circles surrounding with legend and beaded border around both sides, initial mark y both sides, :EDWARD'. VI: D'G'. AGL': FRAnC': Z: hIBER': REX.:., rev. quartered shield over long cross fourchée, large fleur de lis, wire line and beaded inner circles, :POSVI DEVm: A DIVTOR E':mEV'., weight 30.99g (Lingford dies J/8; N.1933; S.2478). Some flan striations on reverse, otherwise toned, with excellent detail to the armoured boy King, good very fine, the reverse a little weaker, scarce die variety, very rare as such.

The 1551 dated crown is the first English coin to have the date displayed in our modern familiar way rather than in Roman numerals as some of the preceding coins of Edward of 1547-50 had displayed. This is also the first occasion an English Crown had been issued in silver having been exclusively a gold denomination up to this time. The gold Crowns continue as a concurrent issue until the last hammered issue of Charles II in circa 1662. The dated silver Crowns of our familiar format continue until 1553 whereupon there is not another until the 1642 issues at the Provincial mints of Charles I at Shrewsbury and Oxford. Page 8 of the Herbert M Lingford Collection part I sale catalogue lists all the die varieties of this interesting series of silver crowns (Glendining, 24th October 1950).

Provenance:
Purchased from Noble Investments plc, Winter 2004.