Edward VI Coins (1547 - 1553)

Discover King Edward VI Coins from 1547 to 1553, featuring all official British coinage issued during the short reign of King Edward VI. This category includes circulating and ceremonial coins from The Royal Mint struck during the late Tudor period, covering gold, silver, copper, hammered coinage, debased and fine silver issues, Maundy, proof, specimen, and certified graded coins. From early portrait shillings to rare fine silver issues and historic pattern varieties, King Edward VI coins represent one of the most important transitional periods in English numismatics.

Britain’s Mid-Tudor Coinage Era

King Edward VI succeeded his father, Henry VIII, in 1547 at just nine years old, with government largely controlled by a regency council. His reign was brief but highly significant, marked by major monetary reform and religious change during the English Reformation. Despite his youth and short reign, Edward VI coinage introduced important developments in silver purity and denomination structure.

This category includes all English coins issued under King Edward VI between 1547 and 1553, primarily struck as hammered coinage at the Tower of London and other regional mints such as Southwark, Bristol, Canterbury, and York.

Denominations issued during the reign included the halfpenny, penny, threepence, groat, sixpence, shilling, half crown, crown, and gold issues such as the half sovereign (rare) and fine gold experimental pieces. Edward VI coinage is especially important because it includes both debased early silver issues and the later “fine silver” reform coinage introduced in 1551, which restored sterling purity.

Collectors can explore coins featuring multiple portrait types of the young king, ranging from early crowned and mantled busts to the later facing bust style introduced on fine silver issues. These later coins are particularly notable for being among the first English coins to regularly include dates in Roman numerals.

Edward VI coinage also reflects significant experimentation and reform. The early part of the reign saw continued debasement of silver inherited from Henry VIII, while the later reforms under the regency restored higher silver standards in 1551, producing the highly collectable “fine silver” shillings, sixpences, and crowns. These later issues are typically more refined and better struck, and are among the most sought-after Tudor coins today.

Multiple mints were active during the reign, including London (Tower), Southwark, Bristol, Canterbury, and York, each producing distinctive mintmark varieties that are key to classification and collecting.

Why Collect King Edward VI Coins?

King Edward VI Coins (1547–1553) remain highly sought after because of:

• Covers one of the shortest reigns in English history
• Includes major Tudor monetary reform and silver standard changes
• Features early dated English coinage (Roman numerals)
• Includes fine silver reform issues from 1551
• Struck across multiple historic mints (Tower, Southwark, Bristol, York, Canterbury)
• Highly collectable portrait varieties of the young king
• Strong connection to the English Reformation period

Explore King Edward VI Coinage

This category includes a wide range of British coin issues such as:

• Gold and silver hammered coinage
• Shillings, sixpences, groats, and threepences
• Fine silver reform issues (1551–1553)
• Debased early reign silver issues
• Crown and half crown coins
• Multiple mintmark varieties (Tower, Y, Tun, Rose, etc.)
• Portrait type variations of Edward VI
• Provincial mint issues (York, Bristol, Canterbury, Southwark)
• Certified PCGS and NGC graded coins

Buy King Edward VI Coins with Confidence

At The London Coin Company , all King Edward VI Coins are carefully sourced and authenticated for quality, rarity, and collectability. Whether you are building a Tudor coin collection, collecting early English hammered silver, or researching the monetary reforms of the mid-Tudor period, King Edward VI Coins offer a unique combination of royal history, reform-era significance, and enduring numismatic appeal.