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Collectors Guide

George VI Sixpence

The George VI sixpence was issued from 1937 to 1952 and is a widely collected denomination within British pre-decimal coinage. Struck in silver until 1946 and in cupro-nickel thereafter, the series includes a range of dates with varying scarcity in higher grades. This guide covers the specifications, design and collecting considerations for George VI sixpences.

Introduction

The George VI Sixpence was struck from 1937 to 1952 and is one of the most detailed series of the reign, with a reverse border variety, an alloy change, and a distinctive cypher modification accompanying the 1949 legend change. This page provides an overview of the George VI Sixpence series, including the 1943 reverse variety, the 1947 debasement, the 1949 cypher change, and year-by-year reference images.


The sixpence has the distinction of being the only denomination of the reign that required a complete redesign of the royal cypher when IND IMP was removed in 1949. On other denominations, only word-spacing in the legend needed adjustment; on the sixpence, the GRI cypher had to be replaced wholesale with G VI R.

  • 1st Coinage (1937–1942) – Struck in .500 silver; Reverse A (with narrow border teeth) throughout.
  • 2nd Coinage (1943–1946) – Reverse B introduced, with a minor adjustment to the border teeth. Silver alloy retained.
  • 3rd Coinage (1947–1948) – Alloy changed to copper-nickel; the GRI cypher remains on the reverse.
  • 4th Coinage (1949–1952) – IND IMP removed from the obverse legend and the reverse cypher changed from GRI to G VI R.

The only date generally considered a "key" is 1952. While these are very common in VF, they are much harder to find in true mint state.

Coinage Details

Reverse Varieties (1937–1946) — Two reverses are recorded for this series. Reverse A, used from 1937 to 1942, features slightly narrower border teeth. Reverse B, introduced in 1943, carries a minor adjustment to the tooth arrangement. The change is subtle but documented and forms part of a complete variety collection.


Alloy Change (1947) — In 1947 the silver content was eliminated, with copper-nickel replacing .500 silver across all circulating silver denominations. The sixpence design was otherwise unaltered at this point, retaining the GRI cypher.


Cypher Change (1949) — The 1949 redesign was uniquely extensive on the sixpence. The GRI (Georgius Rex Imperator) cypher on the reverse had to be replaced with G VI R (Georgius VI Rex) to reflect the loss of the imperial title, making this a more substantial change than the simple legend adjustment seen on other denominations. The only key date in the series is 1952 — common in VF but increasingly elusive in true mint state.

George VI Sixpences

1937 Sixpence 1937
1938 Sixpence 1938
1939 Sixpence 1939
1940 Sixpence 1940
1941 Sixpence 1941
1942 Sixpence 1942
1943 Sixpence 1943
1944 Sixpence 1944
1945 Sixpence 1945
1946 Sixpence 1946
1947 Sixpence 1947
1948 Sixpence 1948
1949 Sixpence 1949
1950 Sixpence 1950
1951 Sixpence 1951
1952 Sixpence 1952

Specifications

Years Issued 1937–1951
Diameter 19.3 mm
Weight 2.83 g
Edge Reeded
Alloy
  • (1937–1946) - Silver 50%, Copper 40%, Nickel 5% & Zinc 5%
  • (1947–1951) - Copper 75% Nickel 25%
Obverse Designer Thomas Humphrey Paget
Reverse Designer George Kruger Gray

Year-by-Year Reference

1937

1937 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1937 Sixpence Reverse 1937 Sixpence Obverse

1938

1938 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1938 Sixpence Reverse 1938 Sixpence Obverse

1939

1939 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1939 Sixpence Reverse 1939 Sixpence Obverse

1940

1940 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1940 Sixpence Reverse 1940 Sixpence Obverse

1941

1941 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1941 Sixpence Reverse 1941 Sixpence Obverse

1942

1942 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1942 Sixpence Reverse 1942 Sixpence Obverse

1943

1943 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1943 Sixpence Reverse 1943 Sixpence Obverse

1944

1944 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1944 Sixpence Reverse 1944 Sixpence Obverse

1945

1945 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1945 Sixpence Reverse 1945 Sixpence Obverse

1946

1946 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1946 Sixpence Reverse 1946 Sixpence Obverse

1947

1947 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1947 Sixpence Reverse 1947 Sixpence Obverse

1948

1948 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1948 Sixpence Reverse 1948 Sixpence Obverse

1949

1949 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1949 Sixpence Reverse 1949 Sixpence Obverse

1950

1950 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1950 Sixpence Reverse 1950 Sixpence Obverse

1951

1951 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1951 Sixpence Reverse 1951 Sixpence Obverse

1952

1952 Sixpence
Obverse Reverse
1952 Sixpence Reverse 1952 Sixpence Obverse

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
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