2020-01-22 Wed

Queen Elizabeth I of the House of Tudor was the last of Tudor to rule from the English throne. Elizabeth’s accession to the crown was in the middle of an external threat from the growing power of Spain and the then internal threat of the religious turmoil caused due to her father, King Henry VIII’s Protestant Reforms.

Her reign saw England rise to prominence as a substantial opponent to Spain in the colonial expansion. Her sovereign was the age of re-surge in the art under the dignitaries like Shakespeare and Marlowe. Under Elizabeth's rule, the coinage of England flourished, her reign gave uniformity to the English monetary system.

The re-coinage of the silver denomination early in Elizabeth’s rule resulted in stabilizing the English economy. The above-shown shilling was issued in Elizabeth I’s reign. The obverse of this coin depicts a crowned bust of Elizabeth I facing left with continuous abbreviated legend ‘ELIZAB:D:G:ANG:FR:ET:HIB:REGI:1:’ meaning ‘Elizabeth by the Grace of God Queen of England ,France and Ireland’ within a dotted border.

The reverse of this coin depicts a Shield of Arm with a continuous legend ‘POSVI: DEV: ADIVTOREM: MEV: 1’ meaning 'I have made God my helper' within the dotted border.

Queen Elizabeth-I died in 1604 and was succeeded by King James VI of Scotland was crowned as the King of England.

Image Courtesy: Stack & Bowers