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1 Sovereign - Mary
| Issuer | Tower Mint (London) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1553-1554 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 38 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | MARIA D G ANG FRA Z HIB REGINA MDLIII (Translation: Mary by the Grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland 1553) |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Mary I's sovereign was struck in the months immediately following her accession — the first English gold sovereign issued in a woman's name. The Tower Mint had been producing debased coinage under Edward VI, and Mary's administration moved to restore fineness as part of a broader effort to rehabilitate royal credibility. This piece reflects that corrective policy rather than a routine continuation of the series.
The reign lasted only five years, and the window for this specific pre-marriage issue was shorter still — Philip II of Spain appears on coinage struck after the 1554 union, making sole-reign pieces a distinct and abbreviated type.