Sixpence (British coin)

Sixpence (British coin)

The sixpence, known colloquially as the tanner or half-shilling [http://www.st-mike.org/money/coins.html] also sprarzi, was a British pre-decimal coin, worth, as the name indicates, six pence.

In England, the first sixpences were struck in the reign of Edward VI in 1551 and continued until they were rendered obsolete by decimalisation in 1971. Along with the shilling (12 pence) and the florin (or two shillings), the last general issue sixpence was issued in 1967 and a special proof version struck for inclusion in the farewell proof set of 1970. However, sixpences, shillings and florins continued to be legal tender at values of 2½, 5 and 10 new pence respectively.

Sixpences were originally supposed to be demonetized upon decimalization in 1971. However, due to public outcryFact|date=August 2008, they remained legal tender until 1980. As time went on, though, and the inflation of the 1970s eroded the value and utility of the coin, only banks were likely to readily accept them.Dubious|date=March 2008

The silver content followed the pattern of other silver coins. They were sterling silver until 1920, when they were reduced to 50 percent silver. The last 50-percent-silver sixpence was minted in 1946; they were changed to cupro-nickel from 1947 onwards.

As the supply of silver thruppeny bits (see threepence) slowly disappeared, sixpences replaced them as the coins that were put into Christmas puddings and children would hope to be the lucky one to find the sixpence, no doubt also encouraging children to eat their pudding.

They have also been seen as a lucky charm for brides. There is an old rhyme which goes "Something old, something new, Something borrowed, something blue, And a sixpence for her shoe."

The folk song "I've Got Sixpence" was written of this coin. I've got sixpence. Jolly, jolly sixpence. I've got sixpence to last me all my life. I've got twopence to spend and twopence to lend And twopence to send home to my wife - poor wife.The singer tells the tale of spending twopence (per verse) until he has "nopence to send home to my wife - poor wife."

Similarly, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Act 4, Scene 2), we learn that by his absence (ensorcelled in Titania's bower), Bottom the Weaver will forego sixpence a day for life from the Duke. In Elizabethan times, the sixpence was roughly a day's wage for rustic labor in the provinces. With it, one might buy two dinners, six performances of "Hamlet" among the groundlings at the Globe Theatre, or an unbound copy of the play itself.

Brian May, guitar player from British band Queen, uses a sixpence instead of a normal plectrum to play his guitar [http://www.brianmaycentral.net/sounds.html] .

ee also

*Irish sixpence coin
*Touch Pieces

References

External links

* [http://www.coinsgb.com British Coins] - Free information about British coins. Includes an online forum.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Crown (British coin) — This article is about the British coin. For other coins called Crown , see Crown. Henry VIII HENRIC VIII RVTILANS ROSA SINE SPIA , crowned double rose flanked by crowned H and K (Henry and Katherine of Aragon); saltire stops …   Wikipedia

  • One pound (British coin) — This article is about the circulating one pound coin issued since 1983. For earlier coins worth one pound, see Sovereign (British coin), Broad (British coin), Laurel (English coin), and Unite (English coin). One pound United Kingdom Value 1 pound …   Wikipedia

  • Sixpence (disambiguation) — Sixpence may refer to: *Sixpence (British coin) *Sixpence (Irish coin) *Sixpence (Australian)*Flat cap, also called a sixpence *Sixpence None the Richer, a Christian pop/rock band …   Wikipedia

  • Double florin (British coin) — Double florin of 1887 The Double Florin (4/ )[1] was one of the shortest lived British coin denominations ever, only being produced during 4 mint years, between 1887 and 1890. The silver coin weighed 22.6 grams (0.80 oz) and was 36… …   Wikipedia

  • Guinea (British coin) — The guinea coin of 1663 was the first English machine struck gold coin. The coin was originally worth one English Pound Sterling, which was twenty shillings; but rises in the price of gold caused the value of the guinea to increase, at times as… …   Wikipedia

  • Five Guineas (British coin) — The British Five Guinea coin was a machine struck currency produced from 1668 ndash;1753. It was a gold coin 37 millimetres in diameter and weighing between 41 and 42 grams. Although the coin is now known as the five guinea piece, during the 17th …   Wikipedia

  • Two guineas (British coin) — What is nowadays known as the Two Guineas coin was first minted in 1664, in England, when it had a nominal value of forty shillings and it was known as a forty shilling piece, then it was later called a double guinea or two guinea piece, worth… …   Wikipedia

  • Half crown (British coin) — The half crown was a denomination of British money worth two shillings and sixpence, being one eighth of a pound. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI. No half crowns were issued in the reign of Mary, but from the… …   Wikipedia

  • sixpence — late 14c., “sum of six pennies,” from SIX (Cf. six) + PENCE (Cf. pence). As a specific British coin, from 1590s …   Etymology dictionary

  • sixpence — [sikspəns] n. 1. Brit. the sum of six (old) pennies 2. a former British coin equal to this sum …   English World dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”