6 Pence - George II Older bust (1743–1758)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1743–1758 |
| Denomination | 6 Pence |
| Face value | 2.5p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 3.000g · 0.0892 t oz |
| Diameter | 21.0mm |
| Thickness | 0.50mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | John Sigismund Tanner |
| Rev. artist | John Sigismund Tanner |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Older laureate and draped bust of King George II left, legend around.
GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA
Crowned cruciform shields around central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1743 6 Pence - George II Older bust
The 1743 6 Pence - George II Older bust is a circulating 6 pence coin issued from 1743 to 1758, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 3g and measures 21mm across. Reverse design: Crowned cruciform shields around central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1743 6 Pence - George II Older bust worth?
No verified sale of the 1743 6 Pence - George II Older bust has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £3.56 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
What does LIMA mean on a George II sixpence?
LIMA below the bust marks coins made from captured Spanish American treasure. Tony Clayton links it to silver taken by Admiral George Anson in 1743. It appears on sixpences dated 1745 and 1746, and on other silver and gold of those years.
How many George II older bust sixpences were made?
No mintage by date has been published. The Royal Mint Museum says silver output dwindled through the reign and that the 1758 coins were the last silver issued in any quantity for general circulation for nearly 30 years.
Is there a 1746 sixpence without LIMA?
Tony Clayton says the 1746 sixpence without LIMA is known only as a proof. The Royal Mint Museum holds one, catalogued as a proof, and treats it as part of a matching group of 1746 proofs from the crown down to the sixpence.
Is a George II sixpence still legal tender?
No. A George II sixpence is a collector's coin and has not been current for a very long time. Wikipedia records that even the post-1816 sixpence stopped being legal tender on 30 June 1980.
How do I identify the 1743 6 Pence - George II Older bust?
Check the weight 3g and diameter 21mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The older bust replaced the young portrait on the sixpence in 1743. Tony Clayton lists it for 1743, 1745, 1746, 1750, 1751, 1757 and 1758, with a proof in 1746. No mintage has been published for any date.
The Royal Mint Museum explains why the dates are so scattered. Silver was worth more as bullion than as coin and flowed out of Europe, and after 1745 domestic supplies dried up, apart from a small West of England mintage in 1747. The issues of 1750 to 1751 and 1757 to 1758 were made from silver obtained overseas, and the 1758 coins were the last silver struck in any quantity for general circulation for nearly 30 years.
The coins of 1745 and 1746 carry LIMA below the bust. Clayton and the Nottingham Museums register link this silver to treasure taken from the Spanish by Admiral George Anson during his voyage round the world.
The obverse shows the older laureate bust of the king facing left, draped and in armour, with GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA. The Royal Mint Museum credits the older head to John Sigismund Tanner, who succeeded John Croker as Chief Engraver in 1741 and had been responsible for the reverse dies since 1729.
The reverse is the familiar cross of four crowned shields (England impaling Scotland, France, Ireland and the Electorate) with the Garter star at the centre and the date above. The legend M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E gives the king's British and German titles. The 1743 and 1745 coins have roses in the angles, which the Museum links to West of England mines; LIMA coins and those from 1750 onwards have plain angles. The edge is grained.
Varieties and errors
LIMA appears on 1745 and 1746 coins, and 1745 also exists with roses. Clayton and Coin Hunter both list a 1745/3 overdate. The 1746 sixpence without LIMA is a proof; the Royal Mint Museum suggests the 1746 proof crown, half crown, shilling and sixpence may be the Mint's earliest proof set.
Collecting notes
Check below the bust for LIMA and the reverse angles for roses, then the date. Wear shows first on the hair and the shield crowns.
For earlier coins see the young bust sixpence, which ran from 1728 to 1741.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- George II, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Sixpence, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Sixpence (British coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Sixpences, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin values by year, George II (year pages 1743 to 1758, read one by one), Coin Hunter (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II sixpence, 1743, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Sixpence coin of George II (1757), Science Museum Group, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Sixpence, silver, of George II (1746, LIMA), Nottingham Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II sixpence, 1758, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II proof sixpence, 1746, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- John Sigismund Tanner, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
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