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Victoria 1887 Sixpence, Jubilee type, withdrawn reverse
Victoria (1837-1901), silver Sixpence, 1887, Withdrawn type issued for Golden Jubilee, Jubilee crowned bust left, J.E.B. below truncation, legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITT: REGINA F: D:, rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, within Order of the Garter, French motto on garter, HONI. SOIT. QUI MAL. Y. PENSE.., date below, weight 2.82g (Bull 3272; ESC 1754; Davies 1151 2+A; S.3928). Toned, good extremely fine, reverse proof-like.
The Latin legends translate as on obverse "Victoria, by the grace of God, Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith." The French motto on the reverse translates as "Evil to him who evil thinks."
This type of reverse upon the Sixpence had to be withdrawn during the Jubilee year of 1887 due to its stark resemblance to the reverse used on the gold Half-Sovereign. Unscrupulous people started to gild the new shield reverse Sixpences to pass them off as the much more valuable Half-Sovereigns. This lesson should have been learned by the Mint from a similar incidence in 1821 when the same thing occurred, a case of history repeating itself. The value type reverse returned swiftly to continue for the rest of the Jubilee obverse coinage.