In 1953 Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom following the death of her father King George VI. The first Elizabeth II Threepence was issued in the same year with a total mintage of 7,664,000. The new obverse was designed by Mary Gillick and depicts Her Majesty right facing with the legend "DEI - GRATIA - REGINA - ELIZABETH II." The reverse retained the same George Kruger Gray wheat stalks design.
The date is easier than many others in the series but is by no means common, especially if sought in the higher mint-state grades. As the first date in the series, the coin is usually struck from problem-free dies which allows for higher mint-state grades. Despite this, very few examples have survived with no significant hoards surfacing.