Sixpence 1937, Coin from United Kingdom

Sixpence 1937, Coin from United Kingdom (demonetised 1980)

Coin	Sixpence 1937

The pre-decimal sixpence (6d) was a unit of currency equalling one fortieth of a pound sterling, or six pence sterling. It was used in the United Kingdom, and earlier in Great Britain and England.

This design, featuring the crowned cypher (monogram) of the monarch, was introduced for King George VI at the beginning of his reign in 1937. It was replaced with a new style of monogram in 1949, after the title Emperor of India was dropped from his legend due to the Independence of India.

Sixpences continued to be legal tender for a while after the currency became decimal in 1971, with a value of 2 1⁄2 new pence, until they were demonetised on 30th June 1980. Thus, a sixpence coin issued in 1937 was legal tender for 43 years.

Mint	Royal Mint	Mint Mark	No mint mark	Total Mintage	22,328,926 (22.3 million)
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Obverse

Within a beaded border, the obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King George VI facing left.

Below the neck truncation in small letters, the artist's initials HP (for [Thomas] Humphrey Paget).

Around, part of the the monarch's legend: GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX, which is an abbreviation from GEORGIVS VI DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX; translated from Latin, it means "George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains". The rest of the legend is on the reverse.

Obverse Inscription	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX

Reverse

Within a beaded border, the reverse of the coin shows the crowned royal cypher GRI, for GEORGIVS REX IMPERATOR - "George King and Emperor" - dividing the date: 1937.

Below the monogram in small letters, the designer's initials K · G (for [George] Kruger Gray).

Around above, interrupted by the cross on top of the crown, the continuation of the monarch's legend: FID · DEF · · IND · IMP - abbreviated from FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR: "Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India".

Around below, the denomination as one word: SIXPENCE.

Reverse Inscription	GRI 1937 FID · DEF · · IND · IMP SIXPENCE

Edge	Milled	Edge Inscription	None

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Sixpence 1937: Known varieties

Variety	Proof
Images
Mintage	Issued: 26,402 (included in total)
In Set	Specimen Coins 1937, mintage 26,402 15 coins: Crown, Half Crown, Two Shillings, English Shilling, Scottish Shilling, Sixpence, Threepence Silver, Threepence Brass, Penny, Half Penny, Farthing, Maundy Fourpence, Maundy Threepence, Maundy Twopence, Maundy Penny
Variety	Matte proof
Mintage	Issued: unknown. Rarity: R7 (Highest rarity possible, 3 or less examples known)
Details	There are reportedly 3 or 4 of this variety, struck specifically for use in photographs.
In Set	Specimen Coins 1937 (Matte Proof), mintage unknown 15 coins: Crown, Half Crown, Two Shillings, English Shilling, Scottish Shilling, Sixpence, Threepence Silver, Threepence Brass, Penny, Half Penny, Farthing, Maundy Fourpence, Maundy Threepence, Maundy Twopence, Maundy Penny

Sixpence 1937: References to Information Used

Source	Edition	About	Link	Notes
Museums Victoria Collections	2016	Coin description	link
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins	1971	Mint
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins	1971	Mintage		Circulation and proof mintage
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins	1971	Varieties		Proof
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom		Varieties		Proof, Matte proof

Showing 51 from a total of 151 coins of type: Sixpence

Coin Name	Mintage	Effigy	Legend
Sixpence 1919	13,375,447	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1920	14,136,287	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1921	30,339,741	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1922	16,878,896	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1923	6,382,793	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1924	17,444,218	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1925	12,720,558	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1926	21,809,621	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1927 Lion on Crown	68,939,873	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Sixpence 1927 Oak Leaves (Proof only)	15,000	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1928	23,123,384	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1929	28,319,326	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1930	16,990,289	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1931	16,873,268	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1932	9,406,117	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1933	22,185,083	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1934	9,304,009	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1935	13,995,621	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1936	24,380,171	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Sixpence 1937	22,328,926	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1938	13,402,701	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1939	28,670,304	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1940	20,875,196	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1941	23,086,616	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1942	44,942,785	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1943	46,927,111	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1944	37,952,600	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1945	39,939,259	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1946	43,466,407	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1947	29,993,263	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1948	88,323,540	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1949	41,355,515	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1950	32,759,468	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1951	40,419,491	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1952	1,013,477	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX
Sixpence 1953	70,363,876	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA BRITT: OMN: REGINA
Sixpence 1954	105,241,150	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1955	109,929,554	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1956	109,841,555	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1957	150,654,290	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1958	123,518,527	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1959	93,089,441	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1960	103,288,346	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1961	115,052,017	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1962	178,359,637	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1963	112,964,000	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1964	152,336,000	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1965	129,644,000	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1966	175,696,000	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1967	240,788,000	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Sixpence 1970 (Proof only)	750,476	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Showing 101 to 151 of 151 Coins. Start Previous 1 2 Next End

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Sixpence 1937: Details

Country	United Kingdom
Currency	Pound Sterling (pre-decimal)
Coin Type	Sixpence, King George VI First Issue
Issued	1937
Monarch	King George VI
Effigy	King George VI - Bare Head, by Thomas Humphrey Paget
Face Value	6 (x Penny)
Total Mintage	22,328,926 (22.3 million)
Current	No; demonetised 1980
Material	0.500 Silver
Designer	George Kruger Gray
Technology	Milled (machine-made)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size	19.5000 mm
Mass	2.8300 g
OCC ID	XYRV-PEVR-CKLD-EDQG

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Sixpence 1937: Photos

Image	Details
	Proof Coin, Great Britain, 6 Pence, 1937 Copyright: NumisCorner.com Notes: Proof. Source
	Proof Coin, Great Britain, 6 Pence, 1937 Copyright: NumisCorner.com Notes: Proof. Source
	Coin - Sixpence, George VI, Great Britain, 1937 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source
	Coin - Sixpence, George VI, Great Britain, 1937 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source

Sixpence 1937: Catalogue Reference IDs

Source	Reference ID
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom	4084
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins	Great Britain KM# 852

Relevant Links

Museums Victoria: Coin - Sixpence, George VI, Great Britain, 1937

Sixpence 1937, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information