A selection of some of the better / more interesting coins SOLD through

HistoryInCoins.com

 

in 2026

 

 

 

 

WMH-7479:  Stephen Norman Hammered Silver Halfpenny.  Unusual Norman Hammered Silver Cut Halfpenny of Stephen’s B.M.C.1, "Watford" type, 1136-45, S.R. 1278.  An irregular coin struck using Local Dies with part ornamental / part retrograde / possibly meaningless legends.  To the best of my ability the legends are: [...]ENSI+EFR+E[...] and [...]ENR or E? ON G[...].  Taken at face value, the reverse could indicate ALFWINE (blundered) of Gloucester?  Richard Mooney, a numismatist I hold in high esteem for his knowledge and understanding of not just Norman coinage but virtually all hammered coinage, has kindly provided the following:  ”The best I can think of is that the "G" on the reverse might be the beginning of the Gloucester mint signature.  If this is actually true, a reasonable moneyer could be Alfwine, but then the spelling is blundered, [...]WENE ON G[...]. I saw no names ending  ENE in Martin Allen's 2012 paper on Norman moneyers of type 1 Stephen.”  Recorded on the EMC database as EMC 2023.0066 although as you’ll see if you look this coin up, Martin Allen is also struggling.  Unique?  Further research required – something to definitely get your numismatic teeth into!  SOLD

 

WMH-9291:  Choice Edward III Medieval Hammered Silver Full Groat.  Pre-treaty period, 1351-61.  London mint, unbroken (new) letters in legend, initial mark 3(4), class G (1356-61), S.R.1570.  Class G usually has an annulet under the bust and an annulet in one of the four reverse quarters.  This coin has no such annulets.  Further, there is an unexpected absence of trefoils in the spandrels cusps on the lower half of the obverse.  The interesting und uncommon anomalies aside, this is an excellent grade coin.  SOLD

 

WMH-9283:  Richard II Hammered Silver Half Groat.  Class II with new lettering but no French title, initial mark Cross Pattée, London mint.  S.R.1682.  All Richard II halfgroats are rare - actually rarer than the groats, and they're rare enough! - as evidenced by the fact that on all three old tickets, the description is either Rare or even V. Rare.  Lord Stewartby states that whilst production of gold throughout the reign remained constant, silver was somewhat erratic and far from prolific.  During the reign of Richard II (even at the end of Edward III), and most definitely going through the subsequent reign of Henry IV, silver was haemorrhaging out of England to the Continent at an alarming rate which was compounded by the fact that the country was far from awash with silver in the first place - the price of silver on the Continent was greater than in England and cross-channel merchants were quick to take advantage.  With the exception of the halfpenny, the larger Richard II silver denominations are virtually all flat; lacking any kind of obverse definition.  Although perhaps not the most pleasing of coins, this is actually a very good example for issue.  SOLD

 

WAu-9194:  Celtic Gold Full Stater - Belgae Cheriton Smiler.  The Belgae of the Solent hinterland, between Bosham Harbour in the east and the River Avon in the west, and around the valley of the Test or Treget which includes the Danebury Hill Fort in the north of that region where several of these Belgae staters have been found since the 1980's.  These coins were originally thought to be part of either the Durotriges of Dorset or the Attrebates of North Hampshire tribes but neither of them used this coinage.  The name Belgae was derived from the Roman named Winchester, or Venta Belgarum, meaning "market place of the Belgae".  The obverse is described as a "Turf Cutter", although "Large Crescent Face" and "Smiler" are also used (rotate 180 degrees to see), for obvious reasons.  The reverse is an incredibly disjointed horse, left, with the rarer three horizontal tails (typically it's four or more) with pellets above, three of which are linked to make a triangle, and an apparent "eye" or coffee bean next to the tails.  There is a crab below the horse's body (sometimes it's a fish, or shrimp or any of the other marine fauna that were supposed to represent the diversity of the Solent seaway) on this reverse.  Unique or extremely unusual reverse die features of this coin: the dots between the rear legs of the horse, the triangle of pellets, the bottom crescent of the horse's body continuing up the neck (should be the top one only) and then there's the three necks, including barley-twist, toothed and plain - usually just a single plain neck.  The front legs are off the coin (was there any way that the full horse, resplendent with tails, was ever possible on any of these coins?!) but there should at last be the top pellet showing where the missing legs were attached to the body.  There is not, perhaps indicating that front legs, if indeed they are legs, were never part of this particular die?  Extra image here.  ABC 755 var, S.R.24 var, Van Arsdell (he had the obverse as an abstract head of Apollo but did state of this type that "Most are in museums") 1215 var.  Van Arsdell also goes on to say that the issue has a ..."high tin percentage suggests melted down cast bronzes were added to debase the alloy".  An outstanding example of this enigmatic issue (much better gold content than usually seen, bearing in mind that all are debased) that was held by ancient Britons who at that point in time had not experienced the Roman invasion and what that ultimately brought to these shores.  There are many unusual features to keep the researcher in you happy over the long winter nights to come!  SOLD

 

WI-6934:  1693 William & Mary Conjoined Busts Copper Halfpenny – High Grade.  A Dublin halfpence that was struck for only three years (the English version was only in operation for one year).  S.R. 6597.  Made from the softest of copper (the Charles II copper halfpence issue was equally soft), ie without the “hardening” elements to the alloy of later years, these coins were notoriously prone to wear through minimal handling.  This one an unrecorded overdate.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WI-7340:  1694 Irish William & Mary *High Grade* Copper Halfpenny.  Struck at Dublin during a short three year run.  Near all the copper issues from Charles II until the Hanoverians, but particularly so this specific Irish W&M issue, were struck on planchets made from a very soft copper alloy, one that was really not up to the job.  As a result, these coins quickly deteriorated through initial circulation.  What made the W&M coins in particular so susceptible to wear was the large relief conjoined busts obverse.  I’d almost go as far to suggest that the W&M Irish halfpence wore down through circulation at a faster rate than the tin issues, and they really did wear down fast!  Sold with an old auction slip stating “Very Fine”, together with an old cabinet ticket.  SOLD

 

WSax-7843:  Kings of Northumbria Saxon Silver Sceatta or Penny.  Eadberht, 737-58.  Phase A silver regal issue, class Bi, S.R. 847.  A "fantastic" quadruped (currently thought to be a stylised stag), left.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WMH-7613:  Norman ANGEVIN PARTY Hammered Silver Halfpenny – Henry of Anjou.  **A coin of major historical significance**  Struck under the Empress Matilda’s Angevin Party circa 1142-47 using an exceptionally well crafted pair of dies: the obverse has Henry of Anjou facing right; crowned, whilst the reverse is based on the Henry 1st final type 15 Quadrilateral on Cross Fleury type although the Cross Fleury is more a Cross Pellet.  Obverse: HEN[RICVS], reverse: +RAO[---ON---]IGE.  This reverse is the reading taken directly from the EMC / SCBI entry (EMC 2019.0360) – see here.  I would suggest that the mint is, in fact, Gloucester – Mack 247 is a type 3 example of this coin with a mint signature GLOE and GLO could possibly be this reading.  Recorded mints for Henry of Anjou, this type, are Hereford, Gloucester, “CRST” and “CAO[--]”.  I’m at a loss as to where EMC derives Wallingford from, other than Wallingford was a beleagured garrison which sent for Henry, from his home in France, in 1153, a date way in advance of this coin.  If the reader is interested, all recorded Angevin mints are: Bristol, Gloucester, Sherbourne(?), Hereford, Malmesbury, and “Uncertain” - Cirencester?  The moneyer on this coin (given by EMC as RADVLF, RAVLF or RAVL) is a previously unrecorded moneyer; Gloucester Henry of Anjou was only ROBERT prior to this coin.  Mack 248-53, S.R. 1329, North 940/2.  Empress Matilda’s eldest son, Henry of Anjou, Lived in France.  He came to England in 1147, aged 14, and 1149.  The former was to do battle at Pevensey (he attacked Cricklade & Bourton but both were abject failures and to make a bad day at the office worse, his men deserted him), the latter was to be knighted by his great uncle, David 1st of Scotland, at Carlisle.  In between times, he was fully occupied in fighting a war against Louis VII, briefly taking time out to marry Eleanor of Aquitaine, the former wife of Louis VII.  Interesting times.  The chronology of coinage is as follows: Empress Matilda coinage in hr name, 1139-42.  Henry of Anjou very much replaced his mother on coinage from 1142 with the profile types lasting until the death of Earl Robert in 1147, after which Henry of Anjou adopted a front facing style to match the Stephen regular type 2 coinage (voided cross & stars, 1145-50).  Post 1147, the fortunes of the Angevin Party were at a low ebb and very little, if any, coinage was issued.  A point of interest on this coin is the unusual placement of the regnal name, starting about 10 o’clock.  Cut coins were very much done so at the mint, not in the field, obviously to generate small change where no round fractional coins existed.  This was the case right through until the practise all but ceased under Edward 1st.  It is extremely interesting to note that this cut half has virtually 100% of the bust of Henry of Anjou remaining.  Once the civil war was over and Henry II was enthroned (Henry II was Henry of Anjou), the mint had little consideration as to whether the king’s head was or was not on a cut half – indeed it is thought that of the miniscule quantity of coinage put aside for “cutting” at the mint post civil war, BOTH sides of individual whole coins were released into circulation as halfpence.  Prior to this, it was definitely NOT the case – only carefully selected coins, with Henry’s portrait favouring one side of the coin, were chosen and when cut, the side without the portrait was immediately put back in the melting pot.  This was to ensure that all coinage, even smaller denominations held by peasants, bore the rightful monarch’s portrait.  It was basically the forerunner to propaganda and advertising.  When you consider this, these cut halves represent a miniscule fraction of all struck coinage and then whatever that miniscule percentage was, it was immediately halved in size by only using one half of every cut coin.  An excessively rare and extraordinarily high grade example.  If this were a full coin, in this grade, it would be somewhat over £10,000; probably more as it’s an unrecorded moneyer.  It is common practice in Scandinavia to charge a straight 50% of the value of a full coin on all cut half coins, even English coins.  Don’t miss out on this one as there will be no repeat.  SOLD

 

WJC-7655:  James 1st Stuart Hammered Silver Shilling – High Grade.  Third coinage, initial mark Trefoil, sixth bust, S.R. 2668.  High grade – the best I’ve ever handled – with attractive steel grey toning.  If this were to be slabbed and put into a decent auction, it would likely fetch much more than the listing price here.  I refer potential buyers to this March 2023 DNW auction of S.R. 2668.  A very similar coin in every way, apart from the fact that the DNW coin cost just under £5,000.  I really don’t understand why buyers not only shun websites in favour of auctions but even more perplexing, seem happy to pay double for the pleasure of using auctions (in this case, more than double).  If this coin does not sell here, it will likely be consigned to auction.  Choice.  SOLD

 

WMH-8164:  Henry V Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  House of Lancaster, Durham mint, class C with a mullet and worn broken annulet by the crown.  Most importantly, the quatrefoil at the end of the legend is very clear.  S.R.1782.  Henry V of the Battle of Agincourt fame: I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires: But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive.  This is obviously Shakespeare's interpretation on Henry's St Crispin's Day speech but it's generally believed that Henry V gave a rousing speech to his men, who, remember, were vastly outnumbered, just before they defeated the French.   Much above average grade for any mint of Henry V penny, but particularly the northern mints - more so Durham - with local dies in use.  SOLD

 

WMH-7666:  Henry 1st Hammered Silver Norman PAXS Penny.  A desirable early issue, being B.M.C. III – circa 1103 only.  +IIHGMII[ND O[N C]AN – Agmundr of Canterbury.  A very rare type / mint combination, there being only two B.M.C.iii Canterbury pennies listed on the world famous EMC / SCBI database, this coin being one of them (EMC 2012.0295), the other being a totally different moneyer.  In effect, a unique coin.  The method pf photography employed greatly enhances any flaws etc.  In this case, the flan cracks look off-putting.  I would refer you to the images on the EMC / SCBI database which literally don’t show them at all.  They are not visible to the naked eye.  Found Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, 2012, bought by Tim Owen, bought by the Causeway Collection.  A rare coin indeed.  SOLD

 

WTH-9280:  CHOICE Edward VI Tudor Hammered Silver PORTRAIT Penny.  No initial mark, the rarer Bristol mint (CIVI TAS BRIS TOLIE - the actual mint being housed at Bristol Castle), first period, in Edward's own name: April 1547 to January 1549, although this issue was only struck until February 1548.  S.R. 2462.  Obverse: crowned bust of the boy-king Edward VI facing right; reverse: square topped shield over long cross fourchée.  A billon issue with the Spink XRF spectrometer showing a tad over 0.500 fine.  Full flan, well centred, high grade - an absolutely outstanding example of this great Tudor penny rarity and from the better Bristol mint.  There is a tiny pin prick just past the end of the ascender of 6 - everything else is just camera reflection or uneven colouring, the latter being synonymous with all billon coinage.  Truly a remarkable coin.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Stack's, sold to...

ex Richard August collection

ex Spink

 

WJC-7639:  1648 Charles 1st Civil War Pontefract Besieged Silver Shilling.  Cut from silver plate literally inside Pontefract castle whilst it was under attack by Cromwell’s forces, June 1649 – March 1649.  Issued to pay the garrison defending the castle, it was made by cutting any available silver bullion and plate. The inscription 'DVM SPIRO SPERO' translates as “Whilst I breathe, I hope”.  Struck the year prior to the execution of Charles 1st.  The rarer of the two varieties with no mark of value – S.R. 3148.  Ex Fred Rist, ex DNW, ex M.H. Coins.  Particularly high grade – these suffered quickly from wear, often being kept as touch-pieces by local and bereft supporters during the dark days of the Commonwealth that followed.  5.59 grams, 43mm tip to tip.  There is a slight Z bend to the coin which has resulted in minor wear to those corresponding high points.  Equally as good grade as the S.R. plate coin, bar the contemporary piercing, but interestingly from a different obverse die – this coin has obverse pellet stops with no stop after SPERO.  The reverse die is the same.   Find another for sale in such high grade!  SOLD

 

WI-9249:  1555 Irish Mary and Philip Hammered Silver Shilling.  Facing bust type.  0.250 fine silver so very much billon - it was at this point in time that large quantities of smaller denomination, earlier debased coinage (Henry VIII and Edward VI) was shipped over from London to Ireland to "satisfy the demand [of the Irish] for small change".  S.R.6500.  A single date, single issue, large denomination that was struck specifically for the Irish economy but not really what was required in terms of everyday run-of-the-mill market commerce.  Consequently, a relatively small issue that was not repeated for the remaining three years of the reign, and due to the nature of the poor metal content, one that did not survive the rigours of time and circulation at all well.  Some of you are probably wondering why it's down as Mary & Philip as opposed to the much more familiar Philip & Mary?  I've never really understood why Philip always came first.  Mary was Queen of Spain through marriage, so by all means have Philip and Mary there but here, Mary was the Queen through bloodline, after initially being declared illegitimate and thus barred from the line of succession following the annulment of her parents' marriage in 1533.  Thankfully for Mary (and Philip), the line of succession was restored via the Third Succession Act, 1543.  She was Queen of England for a year before her marriage to Philip so patriarchy aside, it's Mary & Philip, at least on this site!  William & Mary, 130 odd years later, is debate for another time!  This coin is arguably better overall than the Sovereign Rarity 2026 plate coin - the very best coin available to them from all the collections and databases that they have access to.  Rare thus.  I have certainly never seen better.  SOLD

Provenance:

Old, unidentified ticket

ex Tim Owen

 

WI-9273:  Irish Edward IV Rare Medieval Hammered Silver Groat.  Second reign, type VIII - issues of the Ungoverned Mint, 1470-77.  CIVITAS LIMIRICI - Limerick mint.  L on breast, rosettes by the neck (and in two reverse quarters and interspersed within the legends) and with English & French titles - S.R.6380A.  Coins were issued outside of the governance of the Pale authorities by just three mints: Limerick, Cork and Wexford, with the first of those two mints issuing coin autonomously as a result of the Desmond rebellion by those respective Irish towns.  Wexford was not involved in this rebellion but opportunistically joined in minting their own coinage anyway.  Weight at 2.03g which, bearing in mind the standard weight was around 2g at the time due to the weight being reduced from that of the previous issue by 25% (these were in reality unofficial issues so it's entirely to be expected that they would make money this way - indeed, I'm surprised they stuck at 25%), tells us that this coin was probably struck on the usual short flan and is not far off what it would have looked like when it left the mint.  For issue, and bearing in mind it's not a clipped coin, overall I'd readily grade this coin as VF (2025 price guide £1,200) - it is as good, if not slightly better than the S.R. plate coin.  A rare find.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Steve Mitchell, Studio Coins, 1991 (original ticket)

ex Spink

 

WJC-9261:  1646 Charles 1st NEWARK Besieged Hammered Silver Shilling.  Emergency coinage whilst supporters and troops of Charles 1st were besieged in Newark in 1646.   The desirable later year of 1646 with Newark spelt correctly.  S.R.3143.  1646 was within the third siege of Newark during the Civil War.  It was the actual town of Newark that was besieged, not just the castle, although then and now, the castle lies in the heart of the town.  On 26 November 1645, Scottish and Parliamentarian troops launched a twin attack on Newark. The Scots besieged Newark from the north; Parliamentarian forces besieged from the south. The garrison refused to capitulate and aggressively defended the town. During the harsh winter, the Scots built up siege works which were manned by 16,000 men. They also tried to dam the River Deven (a tributary of the famous River Trent which literally laps up the side of the present day castle walls) to starve the town’s grain mills power. Despite this sustained attack, Newark held out.  Townspeople who survived later recounted that they were forced to eat horses and dogs because food was so scarce. The town was blighted by the plague. These silver Newark siege pieces - sixpences, shillings, ninepences and halfcrowns - were emergency money; literally cut from the silver pate at Newark Castle and then stamped with the dies.  Circular coins would have been difficult to hand cut, hence the diamond shape.  Examples with original underlying designs / gold gilding from the silver plates have been recorded.  The town only surrendered at the order of Charles 1st, who was himself forced to order the surrender as part of the conditions for his own capitulation. Newark finally surrendered on 8 May 1646, thus this later date coin was clearly only struck for four months.  It is interesting to note that soldiers from the Newark garrison fought at the famous battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644).  Remarkably well centred for this issue, both obverse and reverse (this was a rushed, emergency issue which resulted in the majority of coins being regularly off-struck) with an interesting "wobble" on both the obverse right diagonals where the person in charge of cutting up the silver plate presumably utilised a vaguely straight edge to save himself at least one cut and then for whatever reason, had to cut very slowly on the adjacent diagonal.  The Brooker collection contained only one example dated 1646 - a smaller but thicker flan, pierced & plugged.  Newark siege pieces are increasingly rare and as collectors will be aware, when they do turn up, the vast majority are pierced (siege pieces were often kept as touch-pieces to be worn around the necks of loyal supporters), damaged, worn, etc.  A rare coin.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Tim Owen

Old unidentified ticket

 

WSC-9045:  1565 Mary and Henry Darnley Scottish Hammered Silver Two Thirds Ryal.  Fourth period, circulated at 20 shillings.  Edinburgh mint.  Obv: +MARIA & HENRIC DEI GRA R & R SCOTORV and totally different to the 1565 first issue Ryal, no images of either Mary or Henry.  S.R. 5426.  Mary became queen at only seven days old.  She married Lord Henry Darnley (second marriage) in 1565 - this coin very much from that union period.  Darnley was killed in an explosion in 1567, thereby bringing this date run to an abrupt end.  It is interesting to note that this reverse die was struck 156- in order to insert the appropriate final digit as and when.  Unusual to find this denomination NOT counterstamped under Mary's son (Darnley was officially the father), the future James VI of Scotland and James 1st of England.  Scottish circulation was much more intense than south of the border due to lack of sufficient coinage physically in circulation, so that, coupled with the inadequate and shallow-sunk dies, led to very, very few coins of this type or similar ending up in anywhere near VF today.  SOLD

 

WMH-7446:  Stephen NORMAN Hammered Silver CROSS & PILES Penny.  B.M.C. VI, 1150-54: (+)GERFREI ON (TEF) – Geffrei of Thetford.  S.R. 1281.  There are only six recorded examples of Thetford mint B.M.C VI coins on the EMC database with only two for this moneyer, one of which is a cut half of questionable attribution.  Sold with a variety of old tickets etc - ex W.J. Lawson collection (sold by Spink Aus in 1989).  Toned, virtually VF and just a lovely coin.  SOLD

 

WMH-9258:  Extremely Rare and Finest Known Henry IV Hammered Silver HALFGROAT. Choice.  Light Coinage of 1412 - 1413 only, London mint.  An annulet to the left of the crown, a pellet to the right.  S.R.1730, this being dies sunk under Henry IV as opposed to altered Richard II dies (S.R.1729).  Nine arcs in the tressure indicating the later of the two obverse dies for this Stewartby class P with annulet/pellet arrangement.  Lord Stewartby (English Coins, 1180-1551) states: "The halfgroats and London pence of later class P are of considerable rarity."  Further confirmation of this being a later die: the m of Adiutorem is dropped.  The previous owner reported that Dave Greenhalgh stated only x20 Light Coinage halfgroats are extant (both altered R.II and H.IV types) and that this example is the finest known of that cohort.  There are more groats extant than halfgroats.  Readers may be questioning why a Light Coinage coin, ie very much towards the end of Henry IV's reign, would be derived from the previous reign's "left-over" dies - the assumption being that the earlier H.IV Heavy Coinage (1399 - 1412) would have utilised those?  That was indeed the case - there is even an example of a H.IV Heavy Coinage muled with an Ed.III obverse although bizarrely, the portrait on that Ed.III halfgroat was actually R.II! - but so few H.IV halfgroats were struck in the Heavy Coinage that those old dies were still serviceable when the Light Coinage of 1412 - 1413 came along.  Even within this period, with the Burgundian Alliance reinstating wool exports (a main industry in the day), together with the silver reduction in coinage, the output of all H.IV coinage was miniscule, with the halfgroat being much rarer still.  With a degree of difficulty, and some expense, you may be able to obtain H.IV pennies (nearly always extremely worn).  Halfpennies are slightly easier and usually in better grade.  Groats are extremely difficult to source.  However, of all the silver issues, it is the halfgroats that pose by far the greatest challenge.  Coincraft, who I have a lot of time for, state: "Henry IV halfgroats are extremely rare in any grade and collectors may have difficulty obtaining an example, regardless of condition."  Ask any numismatist who the rarest medieval monarchs are in terms of obtaining a coin from that reign and they'll quickly give you Henry IV and Richard III.  Ask the which everyday denomination of those two monarchs are the hardest and they'll be just as quick to tell you that it's halfgroat for both.  Incidentally, Sovereign Rarities 2026 Coins of England do have a R.III halfgroat as a plate coin but were unable to locate an example to illustrate for either the H.IV Heavy or Light coinages!  Here we have not just one of the rarest British monarchs, but the rarest denomination and the very best grade example known, and don't forget that's all extant examples: institutional collections and private collections.  And as if that wasn't enough, the provenance (see old tickets here) is also impressive.  Choice on several levels.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex D. Mangakis collection

ex Raymond Carlyon-Britton collection (his tickets, December 1958, £45)

ex Spink

Old ticket (unidentified) states: "Acquired from Spink March 1970"

ex Spink (1984)

ex unknown collection, dispersed...

Numismatica Ars (Zurich), Auction 145, May 2024, lot 1180, £4,500 after commissions but before import duties

 

WJC-9184:  1625 Charles 1st Silver Pattern Halfcrown - reportedly one of only four known.  Engraved by either Thomas Rawlins or, more likely, Abraham van der Doort.  Obv: Bust of Charles, lovelock on shoulder, falling lace collar and armour, rev: cast and chased Royal Arms in garnished shield, the style imitating engraving, very much along the lines of the work De Passe was producing around this time.  Listed in Medallic Illustration as (i)373/267 as a pattern for a half crown.  The internet yields this:

The Charles I pattern half-crown is one of the rarest examples assumed to be by Abraham Van der Doort. It shows the bust of King Charles I with no crown and a lace collar on the obverse. Additionally, the Royal Coat of Arms is on the reverse. In 1625 this coin was produced as a prototype before beginning full-scale production. This was due to the intricacy of the design and the decision that it would slow down coin production. Ultimately the design for the 1625 half-crown is King Charles on a horse holding a sword, with the other side depicting an oval quartered shield of arms.  The 1625 Charles I pattern half-crown is spectacularly rare, with possibly only four currently recorded. It would be a remarkable addition to any numismatic collection.

and also this:

Abraham Van der Doort and the 1625 Charles I Pattern Half-crown

A talented artist from the early 17th century. He is known for painting and designing medals and coins. His documented catalogue of the King’s paintings, sculptures and coins is impressive.

Not much is known of the Dutch artist before he moved to England, but once here his talent was recognised and sought after. He first worked with the royals, creating medal and coin designs, through which his working relationships flourished.

In 1609, Abraham Van der Doort was tasked with being Prince Henry’s ‘Curator of his cabinet of Medals and Coins’. After Prince Henry’s death, he worked for Prince Charles I. Once Charles ascended to the throne, Van der Doort started producing new designs of the King for the Royal Mint. Charles instructed the Dutch artist to make the designs for ‘his majesty Coynes and his assistance to the engravers’. The King entrusted Van der Doort with two posts for life: Provider of Patterns and Life Keeper of the Kings Coins Collection.

Van der Doort was the first Surveyor of the King’s Pictures. This meant that he was responsible for the care of the Royal Household’s collection of pictures, specifically Charles I’s art collections.

Sadly, there is only a small number of Abraham Van der Doort’s work in today’s market. His most famous work is with the Juxon Medal. This medal has very similar imagery to the rare 1625 Charles I pattern half-crown, however, the designer of which is uncertain. The style techniques and imagery however suggest that it had been designed by Van der Doort rather than Thomas Rawlins.

Another example of the Abraham Van der Doort pattern halfcrown sold in 2024 for £1500 + buyer's commissions on top.  Here, there is no such buyer's commission and you probably won't even have to pay the full asking price either!  An extremely rare and important coin from this most interesting, not to mention vast area of numismatics.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex John Williams collection

ex HistoryInCoins (2024)

 

WJC-7961:  1625 Charles 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Lis, Tower mint under the king, Gp. A, first bust, type 1: small bust with double arched crown.  S.R. 2805.  Issued right at the very start of the reign, so much so that the king is literally depicted in his coronation robes on this coin.  These early dated sixpences are all fairly rare, although 1625 is not the rarest date.  What elevates this coin is the grade.  Collectors will be aware that nearly all dated Charles 1st sixpences turn up worn or damaged.  This one is exceptional for issue.  SOLD

 

WMH-7269:  Henry V Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  Class F, York mint, S.R.1788.  Henry V of the Battle of Agincourt fame: I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires: But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive.  This is obviously Shakespeare's interpretation on Henry's St Crispin's Day speech but it's generally believed that Henry V gave a rousing speech to his men, who, remember, were vastly outnumbered, just before they defeated the French.   Generally a poor issue with little effort put into the dies or indeed the end product.  This coin is much above average for issue.  SOLD

 

WTH-8023:  Edward VI Fine Silver Issue Hammered Shilling.  Initial mark Tun, third period, fine silver issue of 1551-3, London mint, S.R. 2482.  Lost very soon after it was issued from the mint but lost to the plough soil so although VF, which is actually rare to see in these shillings, there are associated surface marks.  SOLD

 

WSC-8124:  Robert III Scottish Medieval Hammered Silver Groat.  Heavy coinage, Edinburgh mint.  First issue with obverse colon stops and reverse saltire "colon-esque" legend terminals.  Seven arcs to tressure.  The facing bust is not typical of this issue, being anything but tall.  S.R. 5164.  John, Earl of Carrick, eldest son of Robert II, changed his name to Robert on succeeding to the throne.  Being almost entirely disabled by an accident before his father's death, the country was effectively run by yet another Robert - Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, the king's younger brother.  Just as in England, there was a severe shortage of silver being brought to the mint.  SOLD

 

WI-9149:  Irish Henry VII Late Three Crowns Hammered Silver HALF Groat.  Issue of 1488-90 with mint name: CIV[I TA]S DVB LIN - Dublin and large annulet stops throughout with a trefoil of annulets (sometimes referred to as annulet crosses) obverse and reverse at 12 o'clock.  S.R.6444.  Full groats are fairly rare and usually turn up with very little, if any legends.  Even these indifferent Three Crown full groats are now achieving impressive prices.  To get a full groat with legends is challenging and the price obviously rises exponentially, as it does with nearly every coin when you're chasing grade.  Nicely toned with as full legends as you're ever likely to see (these were not only clipped but often struck on small flans - you have neither of that with this coin).  To find both a HALF groat, and one in such good grade, is extremely rare.  SOLD

 

WRS-9086:  Roman Silver Legionary Denarius: Legion II - Extraordinary Provenance.  Roman Imperatorial coinage, post Second Triumvirate, Mark Antony.  Struck Autumn 32 to Spring 31 BC.  RSC 27, Sear 349.  Legionary denarii is the modern name for a series of Roman silver denarius coins issued by Mark Antony in the eastern Mediterranean during the last war of the Roman Republic from 32 to 31 BC, in the lead up to the Battle of Actium.  They were struck for one purpose only - to pay the legionary soldiers.  This coin is Legion II - present in the British invasion force of the imperial propraetor Aulus Plautius in AD43, during which it was placed under the command of the young legionary legate Titus Flavius Vespasianus, later to become emperor.  Twenty Three legions were honoured in this "Legionary" denarius issue.  The coins were struck in reduced silver content (!) and so survived the rigours of circulation much better than standard denarii.  This meant that they continued to be used in circulation and would have been present on the invasion force of AD 43.  The entire legion apart from a small caretaker force, plus detachments of Legio VI Victrix and Legio XX Valeria Victrix, was put to work on the construction of Hadrian’s Wall.  Part of the very famous Helmingham Hoard of 2019 - the largest mixed hoard of British Iron Age and Roman coins ever found in Britain.  This hoard was deposited AD 46-7, only 3 or 4 years after Legion II landed.  Sold with an impressive array of tickets & literature here and here.  The large A4 double-sided glossy document makes very interesting reading as it attempts to focus in on the individual who deposited this hoard into the ground.  A very good coin for issue, bearing in mind its nearly 80 years of circulation, but more than that, true history in a coin!  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Helmingham Hoard of 2019

 

WAu-9241:  1654/0 Commonwealth Hammered Gold Crown.  Initial mark Sun, S.R. 3212.  Generally, larger denominations such as this never really made it out of London into the shires; gold coins especially so - silver crown and all gold Commonwealth coinage was predominantly NOT in general circulation, rather being held as collateral in banks (although the Commonwealth period at this point were so bereft of money that there was very little, if any reserve in the vaults), or for use by the government or merchants, which is why Commonwealth crowns and greater did find their way over to the Continent.  A coin falling within the Protectorship period (1653-59) under Oliver Cromwell.  The date is a clear overdate of 1654 over 1650, meaning the dies were originally sunk for the enigmatic 1650 coinage, of which there was zero silver and one of the lowest quantities of gold (all three denominations combined in total) compared to all the Commonwealth years - even the exceptionally rare year of 1657 struck more gold than 1650.  Thus it is not surprising to see that literally every 1654 gold crown, without exception, derives from the recycled 1650 die because it got but the briefest of outings in 1650.  Interestingly, 1654, this coin, was the penultimate gold crown issued under the Commonwealth, the final being a 1658.  So little gold coinage was able to be struck because the bullion just wasn't available.  The gold coinage, unlike the later silver coinage, had to be maintained at exactly the correct fineness because it was this coinage, along with the silver crown, that as has been already pointed out above, was used for overseas trade.  The gold coinage of 1654, that's all three denominations combined in total (crown, double crown & unite) is roughly equivalent to the total output of  exceedingly rare 1649 silver crowns (Spink auctioned one of the two varieties off a few years back with a hammer price of £40,000+ before commission).  There was perhaps slightly more combined gold struck but if you break down the gold and just look at gold crowns, 1654 gold crowns will have been struck in much less quantity than the 1649 silver crowns.  In terms of extant silver 1649 crowns, there are less than 20 known, both in private and public collections, and it's almost certainly closer to 15.  A very rare and interesting coin.  SOLD

 

WSC-9187:  1547 Mary Queen of Scots Hammered Billon Silver PORTRAIT Penny.  First period, 1542-58, before marriage although this coin represents the very first portrait issue of Mary - she was just 5 years old in 1547, so a long time before the first marriage.  Facing infant head of the very young Mary with an arched crown.  The reverse is a cross fourchee with cinquefoils and crowns in alternate angles.  Edinburgh mint.  Burns 3 (fig 864), SCBI 71 (Stewartby), S.R. 5440.  Very few coins in the reign of this iconic monarch had a portrait of the queen so if you collect by portrait, this is for you.  Old tickets here.  An exceedingly rare coin, it being the second only that I've handled in many a decade.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex DNW 2009, sold to

ex Raymond collection

 

WJC-9247:  1645 Charles 1st NEWARKE BESIEGED Hammered Silver Shilling.  Emergency coinage whilst supporters and troops of Charles 1st were besieged in Newark between 1645 and 1646.  The rarer crude, fat-topped crown variety; S.R.3142.  1645 was within the third siege of Newark during the Civil War.  It was the actual town of Newark that was besieged, not just the castle, although then and now, the castle lies in the heart of the town.  On 26 November 1645, Scottish and Parliamentarian troops launched a twin attack on Newark. The Scots besieged Newark from the north; Parliamentarian forces besieged from the south. The garrison refused to capitulate and aggressively defended the town. During the harsh winter, the Scots built up siege works which were manned by 16,000 men. They also tried to dam the River Deven (a tributary of the famous River Trent which literally laps up the side of the present day castle walls) to starve the town’s grain mills power. Despite this sustained attack, Newark held out.  Townspeople who survived later recounted that they were forced to eat horses and dogs because food was so scarce. The town was blighted by the plague. These silver Newark siege pieces - sixpences, shillings, ninepences and halfcrowns - were emergency money; literally cut from the silver pate at Newark Castle and then stamped with the dies.  Circular coins would have been difficult to cut, hence the diamond shape.  Examples with original underlying designs from the silver plates have been recorded.  The town only surrendered at the order of Charles 1st, who was himself forced to order the surrender as part of the conditions for his own surrender. The town finally surrendered on 8 May 1646.  It is interesting to note that soldiers from the Newark garrison fought at the famous battle of Marston Moor (2 July 1644).  This coin, a twelve-penny shilling, needed to be 6g as that was its intended buying power - literally x12 pennies worth of silver (the good old days when the coin in your hand wasn't just a worthless lump of base metal with an attached bank promise of value, rather the coin in your hand was literally worth what the coin said it was worth in metal, be that copper, silver or gold).  In size alone this was a very generous blank that the moneyer initially cut out for a shilling (presumably larger in size because the silver plate being cut up at the time was a thinner plate?); one that clearly came out at more than the stipulated 6g because either the moneyer himself, or someone further up the food chain, cut off and rounded the four corners in an attempt to reduce the weight.  At still over 6g, even with circulation and the passage of time, that effort was only partially successful.  This is something you rarely see - in fact, I've never witnessed it before.  The Brooker collection contained only one example of this rarer die variety but looking at all the Brooker Newark denominations, and indeed his Pontefracts, none had their corners removed in this way to reduce weight.  A rare coin in its own right.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Oriole collection of gold and silver English coins

Dispersed by Spink 2025

 

WTH-9250:  Choice Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Penny.  Second coinage, 1st December 1560 to 24th October 1561 only.  Initial mark Martlet, S.R.2558.  The end of September 1560 witnessed the government recalling all older coinage and literally demonetising it.  The old debased coinage was circulating freely at less than face value, eg earlier English base issue halfgroats were, pre September 1560, circulating at three farthings and debased Irish issues circulating at 25% face value in London.  Incidentally, a lot of this debased coinage was sent to Ireland where is was gratefully received.  The English public was confused and so action was taken in the form of a brand new mint, working alongside the old one, issuing coinage at .925 fine.  The original mint was the Nether Mint (situated on the west side of the Tower of London by the main entrance); the new one, again situated within the Tower of London but between the walls of the east side, was called the Upper Houses.  This new Upper Houses mint, for this second coinage, struck coinage only using the privy mark Martlet, meaning that the coin on offer here originated out of the new, Upper Houses mint.  An exceptionally good, choice coin.  Find better!  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Tim Owen (his original ticket)