page_title: Sixpence (British coin)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Sixpence (British coin) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Great Britain, silver Sixpence 1593, Royal mint London (Tower of London). Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Obverse: Within inner beaded circle, crowned bust of Queen Elizabeth, wearing ruff and decorated dress; rose behind. Legend: (mm. tun) ELIZAB D G ANG FR ET HI REGI. Reverse: Within a beaded circle shield quartered with the arms of France (1 &amp; 4) and England (2 &amp; 3), over a long cross fourchee; 1593 above shield. Legend: (mm. tun) POSVI DEV ADIVTOREM MEV (I have made God my helper).
context_page_description: The sixpence, sometimes known as a tanner or sixpenny bit, is a coin that was worth one-fortieth of a pound sterling, or six pence. It was first minted in the reign of Edward VI, and circulated until 1980. Following decimalisation in 1971 it had a value of ​2 ¹⁄₂ new pence. The coin was made from silver from its introduction in 1551 until 1947, and thereafter in cupronickel.
  Prior to Decimal Day in 1971 there were 240 pence in one pound sterling. Twelve pence made a shilling, and twenty shillings made a pound. Values less than a pound were usually written in shillings and pence, e.g. 42 old pence would be three shillings and sixpence, phrased as "three and six". Values of less than a shilling were simply written in terms of pence, e.g. eight pence would be 8d.
  In 2016, new decimal sixpences began being minted by the Royal Mint as commemorative issues to celebrate Christmas; these coins have been produced for each year since, and are minted in sterling silver.
context_section_description: The first sixpences were minted in 1551, during the reign of Edward VI. They came about as a result of the debasement of silver coinage in the 1540s, in particular the silver testoon, which fell in value from 12d to 6d. The debased testoon was likely useful in everyday transactions, and it was decided that new coinage should be introduced with the express denomination of six pence. The testoon decreased in value because, unlike today, the value of coins was determined by the market value of the metal they contained, and during the reign of Henry VIII the purity of silver in coinage had fallen significantly.
  Sixpences were minted during the reign of every British monarch after Edward VI, as well as during the Commonwealth, with a vast number of variations and alterations over the years. During the reign of George II a number of issues were designed by John Sigismund Tanner, who became Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint, and it has been suggested that this is the origin of the nickname "tanner", which was a popular name for the coin until decimalisation. An alternative explanation for the nickname is that it comes from the Angloromani word tawno meaning small thing.
  The Royal Mint undertook a massive recoinage programme in 1816, with large quantities of gold and silver coin being minted. Previous issues of silver coinage had been irregular, and the previous issue, minted in 1787, had done little to alleviate the chronic shortage of silver coinage in general circulation. New silver coinage was to be of .925 (sterling) standard, with silver coins to be minted at 66 shillings to the pound weight. Hence, newly minted sixpences weighed ​¹⁄₁₁ troy ounce, equivalent to 43.636 grains or 2.828 grams.
  The Royal Mint debased the silver coinage in 1920 from 92.5% silver to 50% silver. Sixpences of both alloys were minted that year. This debasement was done because of the rising price of silver around the world, and followed the global trend of elimination, or reduction in purity, of the silver in coinage. The minting of silver coinage of the pound sterling ceased completely in 1946 for similar reasons, exacerbated by the costs of the Second World War. New "silver" coinage was instead minted in cupronickel, an alloy of copper and nickel containing no silver at all.
  Beginning with Lord Wrottesley's proposals in the 1820s, there were various attempts to decimalise the pound sterling over the next century and a half. These attempts came to nothing significant until the 1960s, when the need for a currency more suited to simple monetary calculations became pressing. The decision to decimalise was announced in 1966, with the pound to be divided into 100, rather than 240, pence. Decimal Day was set as 15 February 1971, and a whole range of new coins were introduced. Sixpences continued to be legal tender, with a value of ​2 ¹⁄₂ new pence, until 30 June 1980.
caption: Sixpence of Queen Elizabeth I, struck in 1593 at the Tower Mint
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