"Like Philip and Mary on a Shilling": The Literary Legacy of a Tudor Coin

The shilling in the name of Philip and Mary, struck in 1554-5, had one of the more unusual and distinctive coin-designs of early modern England, the portraits of the two monarchs facing each other. This attracted unusual levels of literary comment that persisted for as long as the coin remained in circulation. The tone and nature of this comment changed considerably over this extended period, from the reign of Mary I to the Great Recoinage of 1696. This article examines this literary legacy and examines the enterprising and sometimes surprising use early modern English writers made of this memorable coin.