What are old British sixpences worth?

A worn post-1947 sixpence is worth pennies - it contains no silver at all. A pre-1920 sixpence is 92.5% sterling silver and worth several pounds for its metal alone. Between 1920 and 1946 they are 50% silver, so roughly half that. Above the metal, condition and date do the rest, and a small number of sixpences are worth hundreds of pounds.

The quickest test is the date. Anything dated 1946 or earlier contains silver. Anything 1947 to 1967 is cupro-nickel and carries no bullion value.

Pre-1920 (sterling silver): 2.83 g of coin at 92.5% purity. Worth a few pounds in silver, more in Very Fine or better condition. Victorian young head examples in good grade are consistently in demand.

1920 to 1946 (50% silver): still worth well above face value for the metal, and collectable in high grade. Wartime dates turn up constantly in old tins and are the most common sixpence we see.

1947 to 1967 (cupro-nickel): no silver. Common dates are worth a small amount only, though an uncirculated roll or a full run of dates has modest collector value.

Proof and specimen strikes from any period sit well above the circulating equivalent.

1893 in the old Jubilee Head design, struck at the point of the changeover, is scarce and worth serious money in good grade.

1905 is the key Edward VII date. Genuine examples in Extremely Fine are strong three-figure coins, and higher again for uncirculated.

1854 in the Victorian series is genuinely rare and one of the few sixpences that can reach four figures in top grade.

Any sixpence in true uncirculated condition with full mint lustre is worth an opinion regardless of the year, because grade multiplies value far more than most people expect. Our guide to coin grading explains what to look for.

The tradition of a sixpence in the bride's shoe means a huge number of them were kept, mounted, drilled or polished. That is worth knowing before you sell: a polished or holed sixpence loses most of its collector value, though the silver content remains.

Never clean one to make it look better. Cleaning strips the original surface and is immediately visible to any buyer. A dull original coin is worth more than a bright polished one.

Bagged mixed sixpences are usually sold by weight for their silver content. A single high-grade or key-date coin should be valued individually, because selling it by weight is how people lose the most money.

We buy both, and we sort them in front of you so you can see which coins are bullion and which are collectable. If you are in South West London or Surrey, Nick will come to you, value everything free of charge and pay cash or bank transfer the same day - see free coin valuations or call 07956 520733.