British Queens "Bullet Book," Elizabeth I, 1558 - 1603
Elizabeth I Six Pence, Overdate 1600 over 1590
• Elizabeth I was one of England’s greatest monarchs. She forever put the rest the contention that a woman could not be an effective ruler.
• Elizabeth never married. She used her feminine wiles to play one suiter against another, but never made a formal commitment. She was the “virgin queen” who was married to her country instead of a suitor.
• Perhaps her most serious romance was with Robert Dudley. She appointed him the Earl of Leicester which was often a position given the king or the king’s son. Dudley lived in an apartment next to the queen and was the host at entertainments.
• After waiting for many years, Dudley secretly married the Countess of Essex. That angered Elizabeth, but he got back into her good graces. Later he became a lieutenant-general in the army. He would be one of the leading defenders during the Spanish invasion of 1588.
• Other suitors included Sir Christopher Hatton, Robert Devereux and Sir Walter Raleigh
• Elizabeth may have detested marriage because of the mockery her father had made of it. It must be remembered that Henry VIII had her mother, Anne Boleyn, executed.
• Elizabeth’s chief rival to the crown was Mary Stuart, who is better known as Mary Queen of Scots. Mary was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s old sister, Margaret, which made her Elizabeth’s cousin. Mary claimed the throne because she said Elizabeth was illegitimate. According to the Catholic Church, Henry was still married to Catherine of Aragon. After a number of ineffective intrigues against Elizabeth, the queen reluctantly had Mary Queen of Scots executed.
• Elizabeth's finest hour was in 1588 when she rallied her troops to defeat the Spanish Armada. "I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman," she said, "but I have the heart and the stomach of a king and of king of England too." A well timed storm at sea, the superior design of the British ships and the battle hardened experience of their captains brought the defeat of the Armada and changed the course of world history. England became the leading European power and would spread that influence thought out the world.
• Despite her best efforts, age caught up with Elizabeth. She died at age 69 leaving no direct heir.
• The Tutor men proved incapable of fathering male offspring. Even the extended family could only sire girls. That ended their dynasty.
Comments
Nice coin!
I grew up in California but had to have a coin of Elizabeth.
England sixpence Elizabeth 1561
Queen Elizabeth never visited California but one of her friends did and left some coins:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/928495/olompali-state-park-california-sir-francis-drake-elizabeth-sixpence
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Given her long reign I would expect Elizabeth's coinage to be reasonably available. That isn't the case, though, is it? Why the scarcity?
So far as the Spanish Armada goes, very few of the Spanish ships were actually sunk by the British. The ship's cannon of that period were not very accurate. The great majority of the Spanish ships wrecked after they rounded Scotland and Ireland thinking they were several hundred miles out to sea. They were actually very close to land due to their faulty understanding of the currents in that area. A storm then drove the ships on to the coast.
They are common but get pricey since she is popular and in demand.
Some fun facts about Good Queen Bess:
Portraits of Elizabeth typically depict the queen with flaming red hair and an extremely white complexion. Earlier depictions of Elizabeth suggest that her red hair was natural; her ultra-white face was created through lead-based make-up that may have led to health issues in her later life.
It has been rumoured that in order to keep her facial skin tight that she soaked her face in urine. Even if the lead based makeup contributed to her decline in health, living to 69 years old in that day and age was commendable even for a monarch.
Maybe her "flaming red hair" was helped along by mercury.
A "Mad Hatter" the good Queen Bess was NOT.