Half Pound: Elizabeth I (obverse); Crowned Shield of Arms (reverse)

The design of this rare piece is similar to another in the collection of Elizabeth I, 1969.184. However, the initial marks denote it was struck in 1601. Elizabeth I is shown finely dressed and around her is her abbreviated title, Elizabeth by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland. On the reverse is the shield of arms of England showing lions and the fleur-de-lis. Although Elizabeth was officially titled Queen of France, the title was a hollow one. Calais, England's last French territory, was lost in the reign of Mary I. This version of the coat of arms lasted until James I who added the arms of Scotland and Ireland.