Queen Elizabeth I Sixpence Pendant

Description:

This rare English silver sixpence was minted during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The sixpence coin was first minted in 1551 during the reign of Edward VI and was valued at half a shilling. The obverse side of this 16th century sixpence features the crowned bust of Queen Elizabeth with a rose behind her. The Latin legend ELIZABETH D G ANG FRA ET HIB REGINA translates to “Elizabeth by the Grace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland.” The reverse side shows a long cross over the Royal Shield of Arms of England and France with the 1562 date above. The legend POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM translates to “I have made God my helper.”
Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. She ruled from 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth never married and was celebrated for her virginity. One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the supreme governor. This arrangement, later named the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, would evolve into the Church of England.
During her reign, the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 was one of the greatest military victories in English history. The time of her rule is known as the Elizabethan era, a golden age famous for the flourishing of English drama, led by playwright William Shakespeare and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Sir Francis Drake.