Elizabeth I coin

I do not remember where or when I came by the following coin, but I wanted it for two specific reasons:

1. Historical association: I am a (very much on the neophyte level) Shakespearian enthusiast - an avid reader of his plays - and a not very good “bit part” actor in amateur productions. I do not know very much about this coinage and I would appreciate any information relating to this coin.



Obverse inscription: ELIZABETH DG ANG FR ET HIB REGINA
(Elizabeth by the grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland)

Reverse inscription: POSVI DEV ADIVTOREM MEV
(I have made God my helper)

2. The inscriptional lettering: I think it is well known by my fellow members of CT that I have a great interest in the inscriptional lettering on Roman and derivitive style coins. And so, while the portrait of Queen Elizabeth on this coin is not very good, the inscriptional lettering is of great interest to me - it is clear and of good quality to my Calligrapher’s eye.

An additional note: Elizabeth was an accomplished Calligrapher - as a young princess she was tutored by Roger Ascham - a renowned British scholar who did much to introduce Italian Renaissance cultural influences to Britain. Ascham was himself an accomplished Calligrapher.

Here is an exemplar of Elizabeth’s Italic (cancellaresca corsiva) writing hand:



I would greatly appreciate any information or commentary relating to this coin or Elizabethan coinage in general.

 

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Here is mine.


Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603 A.D.)
AR Shilling
O: (key) ELIZAB’· D’· G’· ANG’· FR’· ET : HIB’· REGI, crowned and mantled bust left (bust 6B).
R: (key) POSVI DEV’· AD IVTORE M · MEV’·, coat-of-arms over long cross fourchée.
Sixth coinage. Tower (London) mint; im: key. Struck 1595-1598 AD
31mm
5.81g
North 2014; SCBC 2577

 

Interesting and nice

Not a shilling but a sixpence, here's my contribution to the thread :


Six pence, sixth type, 1591
Ref : Spink # 2578 B

Q

 

Thank you Mat.

 

What a beautiful portrait, Q - thank you for posting it. I think my coin is a shilling?

 

Thanks James

Depends on its size and weight I believe

Q

 

I'm no expert, but I believe the bird within your inscriptions is important. Different mints/issues used different "stops" as these symbols are called. Note that @Mat 's and @Cucumbor 's posted coins have different "stop" symbols.

 

Thank you Carausius. I do intend to start visiting appropriate web sites (and eventually purchase some written references) in order to build a knowledge base relating to this coinage. I was hoping some CT members could point me toward personally recommended online resources, and, of course provide some of their own knowledge and expertise.

 

My sixpence dated 1567 is from the period of experimentation with 'milled' or machine pressed coinage. The story and politics of the matter is quite interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloy_Mestrelle


The problems with the experiment related in the link above resulted in the return of hammered coins like the sixpence below dated 1571.


Hammered coins were never completely immune to striking errors like the 1578 3d below with considerable doublestriking.

 

Elizabeth I handwriting

 

I also forgot to include this essential reference:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ascham

(I am so forgetful these days, sorry)

 

Thank you for that very useful and important information and reference Doug - and for the great coin pics.

 

That is a very nice Elizabeth shilling you have @jamesicus . Coins of Elizabeth without a date or the rose to the right of her young bust are from the first two issue from 1559 to 1561. With the beaded inner circle on the obverse, bird mint mark, and obverse legend that reads ELIZABETH D G ANG FR ET H REGINA your coin is a shilling from the second issue of 1560-1561. There are 4 bust types four the shilling, but im not sure which type your coin has. The coin number from the Standard Catalogue of British Coins (SCBC) is 2555 from my 2014 edition.

 

Thank you for that detailed information @TheRed, it is very much appreciated.

 

A lovely coin @jamesicus

Here is my coin of Elizabeth. It is a three pence piece.


ELIZABETH 1 [1558-1603] silver threepence [3d]. 5th issue. 1581. coin
(19.02 mm 1.45 g)
latin cross. Spink 2573
Ex: Londinium Coins
Purchased November 26, 2016.

 

Thank you for posting that nice coin @Orfew.

 

Way to go on the most excellent medieval score!
Here's my mint state Queen E threepence (the mint was just in really bad shape at this time):


QueenElizabeth I
1567 CE England
Tudor Period Silver
Threepence Coin

 

And thank you, @Ryro - I am really beginning to appreciate these Elizabethan coins.

 

I had read accounts of this elsewhere when I was researching Charles II silver crowns - but the information was nowhere as detailed as in the link you provided.

 

Nice @jamesicus ! I regret that I cannot give you more info as you requested, as I am a novice on her coinage.

I do have some:


England - Elizabeth I - 1558-1603 AR Shilling



England - Elizabeth I 1558-1603 AR Sixpence 3rd-4th issue crescent mintmark




England Elizabeth I AR 3-Pence 1566 Her bust l rose shield 19 mm G