Historical context
Coins named in documents
Wills and accounts sometimes name coins, not just sums. The silver coins kept their face values. Gold coins were revalued more than once, so the gold values here are for about 1600.
Silver coins
| Coin | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Farthing | ¼d | No silver farthing was struck under Elizabeth I. Licensed copper farthings from 1613. |
| Halfpenny | ½d | |
| Penny | 1d | |
| Half-groat | 2d | |
| Groat | 4d | |
| Sixpence | 6d | First struck in 1551 |
| Shilling | 12d (1s) | |
| Half-crown | 2s 6d | In silver from 1551 |
| Crown | 5s | In silver from 1551 |
Challis
Gold coins, around 1600
| Coin | Around 1600 | How it changed |
|---|---|---|
| Angel | 10s | 6s 8d when first struck in the 1460s; 10s from about 1550; 11s under James I |
| Sovereign | 20s or more | The name covers several gold coins; the finest was worth more than 20s |
| Unite | 20s | James I's pound coin, from 1604; raised to 22s in 1611–12 |
Challis
- Read the year
- An angel in a will of 1540 and one in a will of 1610 were not worth the same. Check the document's date before turning a gold coin into shillings.Challis
Sources
- Challis: C. E. Challis, ed., A New History of the Royal Mint (1992)
Facts from these sources, in our own words. Page numbers are the printed pages.