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1555 Philip and Mary Shillings

1555 Philip and Mary Shillings

Few artifacts capture the complex political and religious landscape of 16th-century England as vividly as the Philip and Mary shilling. Issued during the reign of Mary I of England and her husband, Philip II of Spain, these coins are a reminder of religious upheaval and intense power struggles that marked Francis Drake’s passage into adulthood.

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Portrait of a young Francis Drake

Who Was Francis Drake? Exploring the Legend Behind the Historical Fiction Novel Sic Parvis Magna

The tiny, cramped bay of San Juan de Ulúa erupted into chaos as the sun approach its zenith overhead. The air, moments ago filled with the gentle lapping of waves in between closely moored ships, now crackled with cannon and musket fire and the clash of steel. Francis Drake, barely twenty-eight, burst from his cabin aboard the Judith, sword in hand. This was his first command as a captain. His eyes widened at the sight of Spanish Marines swarming over the rails, their faces twisted with rage. “Heretics!” they cried, their blades flashing. As Drake parried a vicious thrust, his mind raced. How had it come to this? The truce, the promises of safe harbor – all shattered in an instant. San Pedro’s cannon roared. In that moment, as the smell of gunpowder and blood filled his nostrils, Francis Drake knew that his life would never be the same.

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Sir Francis Drake with his Coat Of Arms with the inscription of Sic Parvis Magna

Sic Parvis Magna Meaning

The meaning of Sic Parvis Magna is from small beginnings, greatness. This is the title of the first book of the historical fiction series Adventures of Francis Drake.

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Historical Fiction Novel Sic Parvis Magna part of cover

Historical Fiction Novel Sic Parvis Magna

The historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna is the coming of age story of Francis Drake—a farm boy before his notoriety as a pirate who spectacularly raided the Spanish Main, or his fame as a circumnavigator and bold admiral who “singed Phillip’s beard.”

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