Collectors Guide

Elizabeth II Sixpence

The Elizabeth II sixpence was issued from 1953 through to decimalisation in 1971 and is one of the most widely recognised denominations in British coinage. Struck in silver until 1946 and thereafter in cupro-nickel, the denomination continued to circulate alongside decimal currency for a transitional period. This guide provides a detailed reference to Elizabeth II sixpences, including specifications, types and collecting notes.

Introduction

To the uninitiated, there's not much going on in this series. To the microvariety collector, there's plenty.

Two obverses for 1953, as usual, and two reverses for 1955. Hidden in the mid-sixties, in the last place you'd expect to find one, is one of the most difficult crossover mules to complete. 1964 sixpences occur occasionally with a 1965 obverse, and even scarcer are the 1965 sixpences with a 1964 obverse. I have never found one of the latter.

In addition, the strangely stubborn 1958 seems to be much more difficult in top grade than it ought to be.

The Elizabeth II Sixpence was struck from 1953 to 1967 and has the distinction of outlasting most other pre-decimal denominations due to its role as the equivalent of 2½ new pence in the transitional period. This page provides an overview of the Elizabeth II Sixpence series, including obverse varieties, design details, and year-by-year reference images.

The sixpence was one of the hardest-working coins of the reign, passing through countless hands in everyday transactions across fifteen years of production. Finding genuinely uncirculated examples from the earlier dates requires patience, and high-grade coins from the mid-1950s represent a real collecting challenge.

1953 – Two obverses recorded, as across the other denominations of the Coronation year issue.
1954–1967 – Annual production with a consistent design throughout; condition rarity is the main challenge for the serious collector.

Coinage Details

Design — The obverse throughout the series carries the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Mary Gillick. The reverse, designed by Edgar Fuller and Cecil Thomas, depicts an interlaced rose, thistle, shamrock, and leek — the four emblems of the constituent nations — surrounding the crowned cipher EIIR.

1953 — As with the other Coronation year denominations, two obverses are recorded for the 1953 Sixpence. High-grade examples of Obverse 2 are notably scarcer; the majority of surviving mint-state coins derive from the original plastic presentation sets and will be Obverse 1.

1954–1967 — Annual strikes continued without significant design revision. Following decimalisation in 1971, the sixpence remained in circulation as 2½p until it was finally withdrawn in June 1980 — giving many individual coins a working life of over two decades and making truly unhandled examples from the 1950s and 1960s surprisingly difficult to source.

Jump to:

Elizabeth II Sixpence Issues

1953 Obv 1

1953 Obv 2

1954

1955 Rev 1+B

1955 Rev 1+C

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964 Rev 3+C

1964 Rev 4+C

1965 Rev 3+D

1965 Rev 4+D

1966

1967

Specifications

Years Issued	1953–1967
Diameter	19.3 mm
Weight	2.83 g
Edge	Reeded
Alloy	Copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)
Obverse Designer	Mary Gillick
Reverse Designers	Edgar Fuller & Cecil Thomas

Year-by-Year Reference

1953

Two obverses identified:

Obverse 1 was originally the scarcer of the two 1953 coins, as it was only found in the plastic sets, and 1.3 million of those were issued, compared to more than 70 million Obverse 2s. As circulation took its toll, and as more plastic sets were split, Obverse 1 gradually became commoner in high grade. It is now quite unusual to find an Uncirculated Obverse 2. Not Rare, by any means, but unusual.

1953 Varieties

	Obverse 1 L of LIZ at a bead I of LIZ to the right of a bead 2nd A in GRATIA to the right of a bead + to the right of a bead
	Obverse 2 L of LIZ to the right of a bead I of LIZ to the left of a bead 2nd A in GRATIA to the left of a bead + to the left of a bead

1954

1954 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1955

Two reverses identified:

Davies estimates the two reverses to be of similar abundance.

1955 Varieties

	Reverse B F of FID at a bead D of FID at a bead I of FID at a bead I of SIX between beads
	Reverse C F of FID between beads D of FID between beads I of FID between beads I of SIX to the right of a bead

1956

1956 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1957

1957 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1958

1958 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1959

1959 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1960

1960 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1961

1961 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1962

1962 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1963

1963 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1964

Two obverses identified:

1964 Sixpence Varieties

	Obverse 3 A of GRATIA between beads VERY COMMON
	Obverse 4 A of GRATIA at a bead SCARCE

1965

Two obverses identified:

1965 Sixpence Varieties

Image not available.	Obverse 3 A of GRATIA between beads RARE	Image not available.
	Obverse 4 A of GRATIA at a bead VERY COMMON

1964 and 1965 6d Obverse comparison sheet

1966

1966 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

1967

1967 Sixpence

Obverse	Reverse

References

Attributions and variety identifications for the George V Halfcrown series are based principally on the standard published references listed below. These works form the core framework for catalogue numbering, die classification, and comparative study.

Coins of England and the United Kingdom
ESC – English Silver Coinage
Bull – English Silver Coinage since 1649
Davies – British Silver Coins since 1816

Collectors Reference →