1963 silver piedfort 6d

[craigy]

taken form the Royal mint museum facebook page, and what a beauty this coin is, almost certainly unique 

 

The coin illustrated here is a piedfort sixpence of 1963. It is the same diameter and carries the same designs as a standard sixpence but at 6.460g it is more than double the normal weight and it is made in sterling silver. For many years it has been in the Mint collection but so far it has not been possible to determine precisely why it was struck. There is no evidence of relevant experiments taking place at that time and in terms of size it cannot be related to any other coin the Mint was making in 1963. For the time being, therefore, the coin remains a mystery but the search will continue for an answer.

Edited May 17, 2018 by craigy

[VickySilver]

Wow, that is interesting. Perhaps it had something to do with some of the experimentation about future coins and alloys that Rob mentioned about in his conversation with Graham Dyer? No obvious relevance that I can make out.

[Peckris]

Just a thought - that was the year JFK was shot. I wonder if the Mint intended it as a special gift for his widow, but then maybe changed their minds?

[Rob]

I'd be more inclined to think the first. They were making decimal patterns from 1961 to 1963, so a thicker coin relative to diameter than usual as we now see with the pound coin could have been mooted. Though why in silver is a big question mark.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Rob