1 Sovereign - Edward VI 3rd period

Edward VI's third coinage of 1551 introduced England's first explicitly denominated gold sovereign — earlier Tudor sovereigns had circulated by weight and custom rather than marked face value. The third period coinage was also the first English issue struck on the new milled (screw press) machinery introduced by Eloy Mestrelle, though hand-hammered and milled examples coexist within this short window. The king was fifteen and already gravely ill with tuberculosis when these were struck; he died in July 1553.

Spink 2450 encompasses output from the Tower Mint only. Distinguishing individual dies within this type requires close attention to the mintmark sequence — tun, ostrich head, and others appear across the 1551–53 run.