6 Pence - George IV 1st reverse

George IV's 1821 sixpence belongs to the first reverse type introduced at the start of his reign, designed by Benedetto Pistrucci. The "1st reverse" designation distinguishes it from the modified reverse introduced later in the reign, and the two types are not always easy to separate without direct die comparison. Pistrucci's work for the new king came at some personal cost — he had already clashed bitterly with the Mint establishment and was formally barred from cutting the coronation medal dies himself, despite designing them.