Shilling of Edward VI?

The person who sent in the images of this coin asked to remain anonymous.  He said it was found by his mother when sorting through his deceased father’s belongings. Neither he nor his mother can recall his father ever mentioning it.

The coin looks like a very base shilling of Edward VI with a profile bust on the obverse. The bust looks like the first issue of the second period (January 1649 to April 1650) but other characteristics are typical of the second issue.

The mint mark on both sides is a letter T, possibly struck over a lower case t. This mint mark was used only at Canterbury during the second issue (Standard Catalogue number 2468). On the reverse only the end of the date shows up (IX), this being the end of MDXLIX, which is 1649 in Roman numerals.

During the second issue of the second period shillings contained roughly 50% silver and 50% base metal. However, the coin featured here looks as if it contains more than 50% of base metal.

The general style of this coin is reasonably good but its overall appearance raises questions about its authenticity. The blurred surfaces suggest it might be a cast rather than a struck coin. All I can say is that it would need to be seen and handled in order to be able to provide a reliable opinion on it.

Valuation Service

If you would like your coin identified or valued, please read about my valuation service and contact me