Elizabeth I sixpence

Mark Hesketh said this hammered silver coin was the first he ever found and since it turned up he has never unearthed one as good. I’m sure that viewers would agree that this coin is in incredibly good condition. Mark said he would like to know what it might be worth today.

The coin is an Elizabeth I sixpence, which is dated 1561 on the reverse and the mint mark on both sides is a pheon. Over the years, including hoards, detectorists will have unearthed many thousands of sixpences of Elizabeth I. This denomination is amongst the most common coins of the 16th century. However, most of those that turn up as detecting finds are very worn, which is the end result of decades of circulation. They are certainly very common but VF specimens in good condition are rare.

Mark’s coin is round and a perfect strike. Back in 1561 if a hammer man at the mint wanted to show how good he was then this is the coin he would have picked. It would grade about EF for the period.

Valuation

What would this coin be worth today? Well, earlier this year an EF example of the same coin with good surfaces achieved a hammer price of £1,600! The only thing that lets down Mark’s coin is its surfaces, which are slightly grubby. It would certainly benefit from expert cleaning but the emphasis is on expert, as amateur cleaning could have a catastrophic impact on its commercial value.

Additionally, to achieve its full market value it would need to be sold by one of the top auctioneers, which would have a clientele sufficiently knowledgeable (and rich) to fully appreciate its rarity in its present condition.

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