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1 Penny - Edward VI 3rd period, London mint
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1551 |
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| Currency | Pound sterling (1158-1970) |
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| Obverse description | A double Tudor rose occupies the central field, comprising an inner rose with petals radiating outward and an outer ring of larger petals, all struck in low relief characteristic of hammered billon coinage. A mintmark (escallop) appears above the rose. A circular beaded inner border surrounds the central device, with the royal legend disposed around the periphery in Gothic lettering. The flan is irregular and clipped at the edges, as typical of mid-Tudor penny coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A quartered royal shield of arms is displayed at the centre, divided by a long cross fourchée extending to the coin's rim, creating four quadrants. The upper-left and lower-right quarters bear the fleurs-de-lis of France, the upper-right and lower-left quarters display the passant guardant lions of England. The shield is set within a plain inner circle, with the mint legend in Gothic letters disposed in the four quadrants between the arms of the cross. The flan is irregular, consistent with hand-struck Tudor hammered coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Edward VI's Third Coinage of 1551 marked a deliberate attempt at monetary rehabilitation after years of catastrophic debasement under Henry VIII, whose later issues had dropped silver fineness to embarrassing lows. The penny, however, was left in billon rather than restored to fine silver — a pragmatic concession to the cost of recalling and re-minting the enormous volume of debased coin still in circulation.
At 0.258 fineness, these pieces occupy an awkward transitional position in the Tudor monetary sequence, neither the disgraced product of the "Great Debasement" nor the restored sterling of Elizabeth's 1560 recoinage.