James I AD 1603-1625 Silver Sixpence AD 1605 Gunpowder plot South Poorton Hoard

James I AD 1603-1625 Silver Sixpence

AD 1605. Struck in the year of the famous ‘Gunpowder plot’.

Third crowned bust right/Shield

mm. rose

S2657; 25mm, 2.70g

This coin is a part of the South Poorton Hoard, found underneath a kitchen floor during renovation work in a cottage in Dorset during 2019 South Poorton: Historical coins found under floor sell for £60,000 – BBC News

James I AD 1603-1625

The son of Mary Queen of Scots, James acceded the Scottish throne as James VI when only 1 year old upon his mother’s abdication in AD 1567. He married Anne of Denmark and upon the death of the childless Elizabeth succeeded the English throne in AD 1603 being the nearest heir. Following the Gunpowder plot of AD 1605 James brought in severe sanctions against Catholics and also introduced the King James Bible. Scotland remained a separate kingdom and retained its own currency James established a currency of similar weight and fineness in both realms although a 12:1 ratio between Scottish and English denominations was maintained.

The reign saw a number of reforms in the English coinage most notably the introduction of the gold Unite, itself replaced in AD 1619 by the Laurel. Copper coins were also issued for the first time when a licence was issued to Lord Harrington to issue farthings.