George Robson’s presentation sixpence (see NE Dinner article here).
“In 1583 shipmaster Humphrey Gilbert sailed due west across the Atlantic to discover a large triangular shaped island which he named Newfoundland. He claimed it for England and on his return was given a knighthood by Elizabeth 1 as a reward. This was the first overseas land claimed for England and was the first of the acquisitions which in time would form the British Empire and cover one third of the globe. Of course, we celebrate 1583 for another reason – the founding of our school by Archbishop Grindal. Throughout Queen Elizabeth’s long reign of forty-five years none of the coinage bore the dates as we would understand them. Instead, the edges of coins were stamped with mint marks, which were changed each year. Examples are a capital 0, a bell, a triangle and, oddly, an elephant. 1583 was stamped with a capital A. But there was one exception to all this. For reasons not at all clear the sixpences, and only the sixpences, showed both a mintmark AND the date shown, as now, in Arabic letters. So, the 1583 sixpences display A and 1583. One such coin was discovered by a metal detector and put up for sale on e-bay. The coin was duly purchased, framed and presented to the Headmaster at the November 2022 North-East Branch Dinner. He was asked to ensure the coin was put to suitable use and displayed. By the way, the obverse of the Elizabethan coinage show a crowned and bejeweled profile of the Queen’s head and by its side a rose, which all the Tudors used as their symbol. And around the edge in Latin the words ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF ENGLAND, FRANCE AND IRELAND. On the reverse as well as the mintmark and the date 1583, there is a central shield bearing the three lions of England and the fleur de lys of France. Around the edge in Latin are the words I HAVE MADE GOD MY ADVISOR, which all the Tudors used as a motto.”
Front of 1583 Sixpence	Framed 1583 Sixpence	Back of 1583 Sixpence

 

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