William III sixpence

Pete Anning said he has had a few offers to buy the coin featured here and he asked for my thoughts on his find. It’s a William III sixpence – a coin that turns up vey regularly as a detecting find. Over the last 25 years I’ve unearthed a couple of dozen examples so the total number found by detectorists must run well into five figures.

Having said that William III sixpences are very common finds, Pete’s coin is the first of its type I have seen as a detecting find. The obverse has the usual bust of King William and on the reverse are the four shields of England, Scotland, Ireland and France. What makes this coin rather special is the fact that between the shields on the reverse it has roses, which indicate the coin was struck from silver mined in the West of England.

In the Standard Catalogue sixpences of this type are listed as number 3547. They are rare.

Valuation

Pete’s find would grade good Fine and I can’t see any obvious defects. To a collector of early milled silver coins this sixpence should be worth £220 to £250.

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