Description
Edward VI of the House of Tudor, King of England 1547-1553 AD, Silver Shilling (6.22g, 31mm), Third period, Fine silver issues, mintmark Tun (1551-1553). Obverse: Crowned quarter-length bust of King Edward VI facing forward, wearing ermine gown and collar of the Order of the Garter, Tudor rose to left field, mark of value to right field, inner lined and beaded border and legend surrounds, “:ЄDWΛRD’. VI: D:G: ΛGL’. FRΛ’. Z: Hib’. RЄX.”. Reverse: Flat-topped shield of arms of the House of Tudor over long cross fourchée, inner beaded border and legend surrounds, “POSVI DЄVM ‘. ΛDIVTORЄ’. MЄV’.”. Spink-2482; North-1937. A truly sublime rendition, a most noteworthy portrait of the boy king framed with an alluring display of rainbow toning, the scale of which far too difficult to capture through a camera lens, certainly one of the finer examples available to commerce, Extremely Fine, reverse a little less so.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Єdwardus Sextus, Deī Grātiā, Angliae, Franciae et Hiberniae Rex”, with an English translation of “Edward the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland”. The Reverse Latin legend reads “Posuī Deum Adiūtōrem Meum”, with an English translation of “I ordain God as my helper”.
Edward VI was the last male Tudor monarch and was known as the ‘boy king’ as he was only nine at the time of his accession in 1547 – although young, his reign was a short 6 years due to his sickly nature, dying on the 6th July 1553. Although quite an interesting period socio-politically, particularly with all the intrigue surrounding the succession of Edward following his father Henry VIII’s death as well as the internal conflicts between Catholics and Protestants, it was a very important period numismatically for English coinage. Edward’s ‘Third Period’ of coinage, an Edwardian revolution of sorts, is his most recognizable contribution to the wider English economy, transitioning previously struck denominations into a new coin – the Shilling of twelve pence, which was further supported by a half crown of two shillings six pence and a crown of five shillings, all of which would be struck once again in ‘fine silver’, hence the term ‘fine silver issue’ during this ‘Third Period’. Further to this, the addition of ‘marks of value’, in the case of this shilling the Roman numerals ‘XII’ to indicate twelve shillings, as well as the use of Arabic numerals for the Gregorian date of production (not seen here, but seen on crowns/half crowns), was also a revolutionary change for English coinage, and would see frequent use on the coins of Edward’s successors. Last, the portraiture of Edward’s Third Period shillings, sixpences, and threepences, were the last of the ‘facing’ types, with all issues thereafter being the more recognizable profile busts – more poignantly, these would be the last times the common folk would be able to ‘look their sovereign in the eyes’.
Looking more in detail at the portrait on the offered shilling, Edward is crowned with the Tudor Crown, also known as Henry VIII’s crown, and is adorned in a white ermine-skin gown. At the time, Kings and Princes of the Roman Catholic Church donned ermine-trimmed cloaks as the ermine, a short-tailed weasel, was a symbol rich in meaning and depth. For most of the calendar year, the ermine’s fur is a pure white, symbolic for moral purity, whilst during the hot summer months its colouration becomes brown, which is thought of as an analogy for Christ’s rebirth. Further to this, it is said that the ermine would rather surrender before ever defiling its white coat, a sentiment noted as early as 200 AD by the works of Claudius Aelianus, ‘De Natura Animalium’, which echoed the noble phrase “Malo Mori Quam Foedari”, “Death rather than Dishonour”.
To his right is the aforementioned mark of value in Roman numerals, and to his left the Tudor rose which became the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England. The Tudor rose consisted of five internal white petals, representing the House of York, and five red outer petals to represent the House of Lancaster, both of which were united by Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor, after ending the War of the Roses.