Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603) Read about Elizabeth I

 

 

**** An indication as to the way the market has moved over the last few years for Elizabeth 1st coinage. ****

 

 
 

Hammered Gold Issue

 

WAu-9160:  Elizabeth 1st Hammered Gold Half Angel.  Initial mark Latin Cross: 1580-81.  Tower (London) mint, fifth issue, no E and Rose above the cross, S.R.2527.  A rarer denomination than the full Angel which circulated at five shillings.  It is interesting to note that unlike earlier hammered gold coinage, as well as later Commonwealth gold, the half angels saw considerable circulation alongside the silver five shillings / crowns.  The economy, buoyant under Elizabeth 1st, was destined to enter a downward turn towards the end of the reign, thus gold coinage would be far less a part of the general economy.   Good provenance - old tickets here.  Rarely offered for sale these days.  £4,895

Provenance:

ex Seaby (old tickets), 1953?  £750

ex Tim Owen (ticket), sold 2012 for £2,500

ex HistoryInCoins....sold 2015 for £2,995

ex Scottish collection

 

 

 

Mestrelle’s Machine Pressed or “Milled” Silver Issue

 

“85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562. 

This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage.”

 

 

 

Sixpences

 

WTH-8007:  1561 Elizabeth 1st Milled or Machine-Pressed Silver Sixpence.  "Milled" coinage, initial mark Star, dated 1561, this being the very first dated Elizabeth 1st coin.  S.R. 2593.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561 (so here you see that the 1561 issue was certainly not even over a full year).  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  Interestingly, this coin has been bent and straightened, most likely via the use of teeth!  When this issue first appeared on the streets of London in the later months of 1561, it was so different looking to what was in peoples' pockets at the time that it was met with immediate suspicion and distrust.  People literally bit and bent the coins to test the metal content.  A rare date - the first I've had in many years, if memory serves, together with a tangible insight into 1561 Tudor life in London!  £435

Provenance:

Ex John Newman (his ticket)

 

WTH-7457:  1564/2 Elizabeth 1st MILLED or MACHINE PRESSED Silver Sixpence.  Milled issue, initial mark Star, S.R. 2598, Borden & Brown 33 02 R1.  A rare example of an overdate in the milled series.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  £425

 

WTH-9377:  1564/3 Elizabeth 1st MILLED or MACHINE PRESSED Silver Sixpence - TOOTHED Border.  Initial mark Star, bust D, S.R. 2597.  A rare example of an overdate in the milled series.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  £645

Provenance:

ex Ian Davison - renowned expert on hammered sixpences

 

WTH-7834:  1564/3 Elizabeth 1st MILLED or MACHINE PRESSED Silver Sixpence - PELLET Border.  Initial mark Star, bust D, S.R. 2598.  A rare example of an overdate in the milled series.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  £645

 

WTH-7907:  1567 Elizabeth 1st MILLED or MACHINE PRESSED Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Lis, S.R. 2599.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  This coin has provenance going right back to August 1957.  The straight 67 is rarer than the 68/7 overdate.  £465

 

WTH-7882:  1567 Elizabeth 1st Milled or Machine-Pressed Silver Sixpence with Excellent Provenance.  Initial mark lis, small crude bust, S.R. 2599.  Borden & Brown 37 (O1/R1) - type 7c.  The following, which I highlight at the top of the Elizabeth 1st page, is fact:  “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage.”  It doesn’t take a statistician to see that for S.R. to state that a 1567 milled 6d is commoner than a 1562 6d is beyond ridiculous (I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced).  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  A rarer date coin.  £495

Provenance:

Ex Spink 1948 and residing in the same family until recently. Old tickets here

 

WTH-7836:  1568/7 Elizabeth 1st MILLED or MACHINE PRESSED Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Lis, S.R. 2599.  A rare example of an overdate in the milled series.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  £545

Provenance:

Ex Arthur Fitts' collection. 

 

WTH-7837:  1568/7 Elizabeth 1st MILLED or MACHINE PRESSED Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Lis, S.R. 2599.  A rare example of an overdate in the milled series.  When you consider that “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage”, you gain an insight into just how rare all non 1562 milled coins are.  I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced.  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  £795

 

WTH-7801:  1568/7 Elizabeth 1st Machine Screw-Press Silver Sixpence.  Small bust with ear showing, initial mark Lis, S.R. 2599.  A much rarer year although I’ve just, for the very first time, noticed that S.R. rate 1568 as commoner than 1562!!  Now S.R.’s price guide has many strange anomalies riddled throughout (I’m being diplomatic!) but I have to say, this one may well take the biscuit!  I don’t take too much notice of S.R. pricing as it’s all very general, based on the commonest variety (ie there are more than x10 different varieties for 1651 Commonwealth shillings but S.R. only give one price, which will be for the very commonest of those date varieties) and nearly always priced too low, which is probably why I’ve never noticed this 62 v’s 68 thing before.  It should always be remembered that S.R. is just a guide, not a set-in-stone-bible, although the differentials between varieties should be reasonably accurate, which is definitely NOT the case here.  The following, which I highlight at the top of the Elizabeth 1st page, is fact:  “85% of Mestrelle’s meagre experimental machine-made coins were sixpences dated 1562.  This leaves 15% for all the other Screw-Pressed sixpences, shillings, groats, threepences, halfgroats, threefarthings and the gold coinage.”  It doesn’t take a statistician to see that for S.R. to state that a 1568 milled 6d is commoner than a 1562 6d is beyond ridiculous.  (I don't tend to buy 1562 machine pressed sixpences as they are invariably overpriced).  Queen Elizabeth 1st herself visited both mints (Upper & Lower Houses) upon the occasion of the near completion of the recoinage on 10th July 1561.  She met with Eloye Mestrelle and viewed his machinery.  The visit was reported to be six hours in length.  Eleven years later, Eloye Mestrelle was dismissed from the mint in 1572 and just six years after that, he was executed (hanged) for counterfeiting.  This is an interesting, very late 1568 issue from dies that were failing, as evidenced from the three separate obverse die flaws.  I have never seen any more than a single die flaw before.  I suspect the pressure was reduced in the press in order to facilitate this die lasting the course as there are uncharacteristic corresponding poorly struck areas at 5 o’clock obv and 7 o’clock rev.  An interesting and rarer date coin.  £595

Provenance:

ex Spink. 

 

 

 

Hammered Silver Issue

 

Halfcrowns

 

WTH-7690:  1601 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Halfcrown.  Seventh issue, S.R. 2583.  The Edward VI crowns and halfcrowns – primarily just eye-catching big coins to promote Edward’s restoration of the sterling standard (after Henry VIII’s escapades) in 1551 – didn’t really take off.  The German thaler, which was introduced actually before Elizabeth 1st was even born, and the Spanish dollar or piece of eight, was brought to the attention of the English mint towards the very end of the reign as a bullion coin for use with the East India Company.  Prior to 1600, the company had used foreign coinage and then the testern or Portcullis pieces for transportation of bullion, neither of which were well received by the monarchy, particularly the latter as it did not bear the queen’s portrait.  The large flans of these new crowns and halfcrowns were ideal for the engraver Charles Anthony to display his ionic portrait which pleased the queen enormously compared to the non portrait testerns.  This was either luck or great foresight as within 50 years, the halfcrown was the principle circulating coin in the English economy!  An interesting die variation with the sceptre pointing to the I of REGINA as opposed to the usual G.  £2,895

 

 

 

Shillings

 

WTH-7471:  1594-96 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Shilling.  Sixth Issue, initial mark Woolpack, S.R. 2577.  Bust 6B.  Scratches to the face (deliberate, contemporary graffiti) otherwise a good, solid example of a scarcer denomination.  £325

 

WTH-9383:  Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Shilling.  Sixth Issue, Tower (London) mint, initial mark Woolpack, bust 6B, S.R. 2577.  The sixth issue was 1st February 1583 through to 20th May 1601 with Woolpack being 9th May 1594 to 13th February 1596, so just under two years in operation.  The shilling had stopped being struck at the cessation of the second issue in 24th October 1561, meaning a 22 year hiatus until it reappeared due to the old shillings from the first and second issues being worn by this point.  Interestingly, towards the end of the century there was a bad economic depression and as a result, mint output decreased dramatically, resulting in a dearth of unused dies, although the shilling was issued right up until the end of the reign.  That depression would certainly have been upon the country at the time of this coin (1594-6) thus the number of coins leaving the mint, and by association, the number of extant coins today, would be much lower than the norm.  Another interesting point (well, I find it interesting!) is that in 1593, just a year before this coin was issued but probably at just about the time this coin's dies were being sunk, a new engraver took over at the mint.  Derick Anthony had been engraver at the mint for 30 years and in 1589 had brought his son to the mint as apprentice.  Charles officially took over from his father in 1593.  The son's dies can be distinguished from those of his father's by their more elaborate and florid style, although it should be pointed out that this was a gradual deviation from the style of his father.  A large, generous full flan coin with lovely toning as well as being in excellent grade.  An exceptionally pleasing example.  £695

 

 

 

Sixpences

 

WTH-7456:  156Z/1 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Third & Fourth issues, initial mark Pheon, S.R. 2561.  1562 as a date represents a frequency of 1.8% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.4% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1562 is the nineteenth rarest of all forty two dates.  An interesting die.  You might be thinking this was an error (a Z for a 2) but you’d be wrong.  1561 was a huge year for sixpence output, there being x17 different dies in use with several more prepared in case they needed them.  They didn’t and so when 1562 happened, one or two of those x17 dies that hadn’t broken were recycled, along with the unused 1561 “reserve” dies.  They decided a Z made a better number 2 until they saw sense.  There are fewer 156Z/1 dies recorded than straight 62 dies.  £265

 

WTH-7831:  1563/2 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Pheon, third & fourth issue.  S.R. 2561.  This date only ever occurs as an overdate - they clearly had a lot of functional dies left over from 1562 which they adapted / recycled to make 1563 dies.  An unusual triple vertical dot arrangement after ELIZABETH - it's usually a double or occasionally a single dot.  1563 as a date represents a frequency of 0.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.4% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1563 is the seventh rarest of all forty two dates - it was a plague year with a population mass exodus out of London, resulting in London commerce coming to a virtual standstill.  Only the people who could afford to escape the plague left London but then they were the very people generating commerce. Ex Mayfair Coins (1980) and thence to the famous Chris Comber collection (his ticket).An important coin in the sixpence series.  £425

 

WTH-8116:  1563/2 Elizabeth 1st Tudor Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Pheon, third & fourth issue.  S.R. 2561.  This date only ever occurs as an overdate - they clearly had a lot of functional dies left over from 1562 which they adapted / recycled to make 1563 dies.  An unusual triple vertical dot arrangement after ELIZABETH - it's usually a double or occasionally a single dot.  1563 as a date represents a frequency of 0.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.4% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1563 is the seventh rarest of all forty two dates - it was a plague year with a population mass exodus out of London, resulting in London commerce coming to a virtual standstill.  Only the people who could afford to escape the plague left London but then they were the very people generating commerce. An important coin in the sixpence series.  £385

 

WTH-7459:  1564 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Third & Fourth issues, initial mark Pheon, S.R. 2561b.  1564 (all varieties) as a date represents a frequency of 2.2% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.8% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins, but you also need to be aware that there are x14 recorded examples of all 1564 dies and ONLY ONE OF THOSE IS A STRAIGHT 64!!  This is a very rare coin and hugely underrated by most people.  £245

 

WTH-7460:  1565 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Third & Fourth issues, initial mark Rose, S.R. 2561b.  Old tickets here.  1565 as a date represents a frequency of 3.8% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.5% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  There was some impressive die life this year – only x5 dies are recorded compared to way more for previous years.  Also, even though 64 was a huge year where they must have had many left over dies, either partly used or reserve dies, there are no overdates for 1565.  £175

 

WTH-7832:  1565 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Rose (started late 1565: 1st October), third & fourth issue.  S.R. 2561.  This date only ever occurs as a straight 65 - they clearly had no functional dies left over from 1564 with which they could adapt / recycle to make 1565 dies.  This is even more impressive when you learn that virtually all 1564 coins were recycled from old 1562 dies!  They had clearly got their act together after the fiasco of 1562 when they had dies by the bucket full that went unused that year.  1565 as a date represents a frequency of 3.8% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.5% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  It's a date you don't come across that often these days.  £235

 

WTH-7462:  1567 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Third & Fourth issues, initial mark Coronet, S.R. 2562.  1567 as a date represents a frequency of 6.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 4.8% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  £235

 

WTH-7705:  1568 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Third issue, initial mark Coronet, S.R. 2562.  Ex C. Martin 1981, ex Chris Comber collection.  1568 as a date represents a frequency of 4.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 5.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  Outstanding grade.  £285

 

WTH-7772:  1572 Elizabeth 1st Tudor Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Ermine, bust 4B, third & fourth issues, S.R. 2562.  This is an example of the UNCORRECTED die sinker’s error of the 2 in the date being both reversed and inverted.  Several recorded errors were made on various Elizabethan dies but I think this is the most unforgivable because even if you were illiterate, you’d surely notice an upside down, reversed 2 and if you didn’t, then surely the quality control people would flag it up?!  And for it to then go into production to not only strike coinage but for that coinage to then be deemed correct and good enough for distribution into general circulation…???!!!  It doesn’t seem possible but it certainly happened.  It obviously was quickly discovered and corrected because coins exist that are normal 2 struck over this inverted 2 die.  Ex Arthur Fitts’ collection.  £275

 

WTH-7464:  1573 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Third & Fourth issues, initial mark Acorn, S.R. 2563.  1573 as a date represents a frequency of 4.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 5.3% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  £185

 

WTH-8117:  1576 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Third issue, initial mark Eglantine, S.R. 2563.  1576 as a date represents a frequency of 0.8% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.0% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1576 is the sixteenth rarest of all forty two dates.  A very good grade coin with minor reverse graffiti.  £295

 

WTH-7599:  1577/6 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Eglantine, third & fourth issues, S.R. 2563.  1577 as a date represents a frequency of 0.4% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.4% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1577 is the sixth rarest of all forty two dates.  Whilst you can’t argue with the data, I would have placed 1577 at more like 4th or 5th, but that’s clearly anecdotal.  Interestingly, 1577, and to a lesser extent, 1576, are often thought of as common dates as they are both completely surrounded by commoner dates on a graph of extant recorded examples.  Interestingly, 1577 does not exist as a straight 77 – they are all overstruck on old recycled 1576 dies.  It is telling that very few 1577 sixpences were actually struck as they were winding down the Fourth coinage: not only is there a Fifth coinage 1578/7 variety (showing that they did actually produce a straight 1577 but didn’t use it), but there is also a Fifth coinage 1578/7/6 variety showing that the 1577/6 was clearly only used sparingly in 1577 as it was still viable in 1578, albeit with yet another alteration.  A very rare coin.  £425

 

WTH-7670:  1580 over 1579 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Fifth coinage, bust 5A, initial mark Latin Cross, S.R. 2572.  Overdates, with altered initial marks, are found because too many dies were sunk in a year where less coinage was struck that was originally expected, often down to availability of bullion.  These old dies were effectively recycled up to three years later.  It is interesting to note that although changing the initial mark was obligatory, in line with the various pyx inspections, the date was not required to be changed.  They are actually quite rare in all coinages, but specifically for the fifth coinage, it only really happened three times.  When you think that 79 to be changed to 80 would have been twice the work, you begin to wonder why they bothered changing the date at all.  The overdate on this coin is very clear.  1580 as a date represents a frequency of 3.7% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 4.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  £225

 

WTH-7572:  1585 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Escallop, sixth issue.  Only a single 1585 die recorded – two future overdates (1586/5 and 1587/6/5) are recorded which were basically recycled dies from previous years, ie they made more 1585 dies than they actually used.  1585 as a date represents a frequency of 1.4% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1585 is the twentieth rarest of all forty two dates.  £145 

 

WTH-9073:  1588 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Crescent, S.R. 2578A.  1588 as a date represents a frequency of 0.2% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.2% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1588 is the fourth rarest of all forty two dates.  The famous Spanish Armada date and although only 4th rarest in the “league table”, this date is arguably the most sought after of all dates.  If you check prices in previous (proper) coin auctions, you’ll see some very high prices, especially in the States, and don’t forget there’s 30% buyer’s commission on top of those prices.  Interestingly, this coin looks to have been a 15-- die where the final 8 has been added, presumably because this was a time of austerity where relatively few coins were struck; the thought being that these dies could be used over several years without the need to overdate.  I have since bought a 1588 6d (WTH-7833) where both number 8s look to have bee added to a 15-- die.  £485

 

WTH-8119:  1589 - final 9 over sideways 9 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Crescent, S.R. 2578A.  Note the two 9's are actually level with the 15 although both final digits were added to a finished 15-- die.  In some instances, only the final digit was added to a 158- die.  This was a time of austerity where relatively few coins were struck; the thought being that these dies could be used over several years without the need to overdate.  However, much more important is the final 9, it being overstruck over a sideways 9 and further, that upright 9 was struck over another upright 9.  Messrs. Brown, Comber & Wilkinson, the undisputed leading experts on all things numismatically linked to Elizabeth 1st, in their research paper (published 2006, updated 2012), do record this sideways 9 but not the second upright 9.  Interestingly, the same employee at the mint who thought a sideways 9 was a good idea to add to a 15-- die was probably the same one who in 1588 thought a sideways 8 was an equally good and acceptable idea!  1580 also has an 8 over a sideways 8.  After 1589, no more errors of this nature are recorded thus we can assume that he was either cured of his sideways view on things or moved out!  1589 as a date represents a frequency of 0.5% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.5% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1589 is the eighth rarest of all forty two dates.  £165

Provenance:

Ex Chris Comber collection. 

 

WTH-7671:  1591 over 1590 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth coinage, bust 6C, initial mark Hand, S.R. 2578B.  Overdates, with altered initial marks, are found because too many dies were sunk in a year where less coinage was struck that was originally expected, often down to availability of bullion.  These old dies were effectively recycled up to three years later.  It is interesting to note that although changing the initial mark was obligatory, in line with the various pyx inspections, the date was not required to be changed.  1590 changed to 1591 is a strange one in that most of the 1590 sixpences issued were made from 1589 recycled dies and the rest were from straight 1590 dies.  They clearly didn’t issue many straight 1590 coins (it is a rarer year) because the dies were barely used – they took the 1591 dies, seeing they were still fresh, and altered them to produce 1591 coinage.  1591 as a date represents a frequency of 1.2% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.2% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1591 is the fifteenth rarest of all forty two dates.  £255

 

WTH-7092:  1592 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Tun, sixth issue.  S.R. 2578B. 1592 as a date represents a frequency of 2.5% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.4% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  £95

 

WTH-7560:  1593 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Tun, bust 6C, S.R. 2578B.  Sometime cleaned.  Ex A. Travis collection.  1593 as a date represents a frequency of 2.5% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.4% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  Only x3 recorded straight 93 dies recorded.  These later dates are invariably lower grade and problematic but this coin is much above average.  £275

 

WTH-7805:  1594 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence  Sixth issue, initial mark Woolpack, which was in use 9th May 1594 to 13th February 1596.  The straight 94, of which this is very much an example, is less frequently seen than the commoner 1594/3 overdates.  Saying that, 94 is still overall a rare year: 1594 as a date represents a frequency of 2.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.6% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  Again, by this date, the quality of dies and the actual end product seemed to have been a far distant memory so it’s nice, not to say unusual, to see such a good grade example.  S.R. 2578B.  Impact mark or punch below the Queen’s ear.  Nicely toned.  £175

 

WTH-9388:  1595 High Grade Elizabeth 1st Late Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Woolpack (9th May 1594 - 13th February 1596), Tower (London) mint, bust 6c, fifth issue, S.R. 2578A.  Earlier and later dates are frequently encountered with overdates (ie, recycled reverse dies with the new final digit of the date being literally overstruck on the top of the old date) but not 1595.  You will only see straight 1595 dated sixpences, indicating that there were no old earlier reverse dies left after 1594 (no later coins are known to have utilised any reverse dies earlier than 1596).  Also, there were no 1595 reverse dies left at the commencement of 1596 because no later coins are known to have been overstruck on 1595 reverses.  At the end of the century there was a proliferation of overdates (in fact, scarcely a straight date was to be seen!) with examples such as1599/8/6, 1599/8, 1599/6, 1600/159-, and my favourite, 1600/1596!  There are many more such examples.  1594 to 1597 was a period of devastating recession in Elizabethan England.  The crops failed for four successive years and inevitability, food prices rocketed.  Inflation was rampant and as a result, real wages fell to their lowest levels since the Black Death.  As if that wasn't enough, the crucial English cloth export industry collapsed, leading to massive unemployment.  The ongoing war with Spain was also continuing to drain the crown's treasury, meaning the state had to tax more.  Interestingly, one of the first examples of government state wide help (benefits) was seen as a result of all of this in the "Elizabeth Poor Law of 1601" which financed relief to the poor, albeit through yet more taxes.  In 1599, after several recession years where very, very small amounts of coinage was issued, thus resulting in a surplus of old dies which still had life left in them, the penny (or sixpence!) finally dropped - they recognised that more dies were being made than coins were being struck so they began to sink reverse dies reading 159- only, meaning a fresh final digit could be punched onto the coin as appropriate and nobody would be any the wiser.  It was a fairly inopportune moment for this epiphany though - the century was just about to tick over, meaning the last digit was not the only one needing to be changed!  1595 as a date represents a frequency of 1.0% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  *** 1595 is the thirteenth rarest of all forty two dates ***.  Rarer date, superb grade together with solid and impressive provenance.  £425

Provenance:

ex Prestonbury Hoard (June 2004), dispersed...

ex DNW (Dec 2005, lot 39)

ex Lloyd Bennett (2005)

 

WTH-7319:  1596 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Key, S.R. 2578B.  One of the rare years - 1596 as a date represents a frequency of 0.7% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.0% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1596 is the eleventh rarest of all forty two dates.  A grand total of three recorded dies (one of which is 9/6, another being bereft of any initial mark whatsoever) illustrates just how rare a year this is.  Unusually for these rare later dates, this coin is actually very nice grade for issue.  £295

 

WTH-7806:  1596 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence  Sixth issue, initial mark Key, which was in use 13th February 1596 to 7th February 1599.  There were no overdates (ie recycled reverse dies) used for this rare year: 1596 as a date represents a frequency of 0.7% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 1.0% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1596 is the eleventh rarest of all forty two dates.  The late 1590’s to the end in 1602 were poor years in terms of quality of dies and sixpence coinage, even more so than the 1580’s.  Anecdotally, the silver alloy content deteriorated as well, thereby not helping the state of the coinage.  Not the most photogenic of coins; it is, however, a very nice grade example of this rarer, late year, albeit afflicted with an inferior silver alloy, along with perhaps every other 1596 coin going.  A very nice and hard to find example.  £365

 

WTH-7709:  1597 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Key, S.R. 2578B.  1597 as a date represents a frequency of <0.04% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and <0.03% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  *** 1597 is the rarest of all forty two dates ***  I have only had one better through my hands in many, many years.  That was the Walter Wilkinson coin which now forms the backbone of a very impressive, growing collection and definitely not available.  A great rarity, especially in this grade.  £950

 

WTH-8122:  1597 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Key, S.R. 2578B.  Note the 97 digits are actually lower than they should be, indicating that both final digits were added to a finished 15-- die.  1597 as a date represents a frequency of <0.04% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and <0.03% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  *** 1597 is the rarest of all forty two dates ***  A great rarity.  £525

 

WTH-8031:  1599/8 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark a straight Anchor, Sixth issue, S.R. 2578B.  1599 as a date represents a frequency of 0.2% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  *** 1599 is the third rarest of all forty two dates ***   There was an economic depression during the final years of the sixteenth century, a factor hugely relevant in the rarity of this coin.  This led to a situation where there was an oversupply of dies, resulting in date alterations (we see 1599/8/6, 99/8 [this coin] and 99/6).  This scenario only started in 1598 as prior to that date, we see very little, if any overdating – even 1597 was a straight date.  More interesting still, this coin is an unrecorded 1599 (large final 9) over 1599 (small final 9) over 1598.  One die is recorded where BOTH the 9 and 8 of the date were overstruck with a large 9 punch but this is just the final digit and a smaller 9 is indicated in terms of the trailing tail.  I have to say that this trailing tail may or may not be a small 9 but even if it isn't, this is still unrecorded in that only a single large 9 was used.  Ex Ewerby Hoard.  Not a particularly pleasing coin but nevertheless hugely interesting, very rare and benefiting from coming from that well known, recent hoard – and by the way, this large hoard was very much made up of worn coins from circulation with apparently zero consideration given for any part of it to be “nice coins” – these were the coins available to the individual who put that hoard together at that time.  This 1599/8 is fairly representative across the board in terms of grade, showing us that the general coinage in circulation in the 1640’s – the given date of this hoard – was poor.  It’s frustrating when people demand high grade, choice sixpences and complain that all see are “battered, low grade” examples.  The Chris Comber and Walter Wilkinson Elizabeth 1st collections had their fair share of coins looking like this, even after many decades of collecting and upgrading.  A rare coin.  £375

Provenance:

Ex Ewerby Hoard

 

WTH-9074:  1600/159- Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark 0, bust 6B - S.R. 2578B.  For the vast bulk of Elizabethan coinage, little or no foresight had been used regarding dates and initial marks, resulting in glaring overdates when the old dies were used again (recycled) in subsequent years, for example the famous 1578/7/6.  There are many others.  The penny dropped at the mint, eventually, that perhaps sinking dies but omitting initial marks and with only partial dates (those to be added when the dies were brought into use), might be a good idea.  Amusingly, this practice was adopted in, wait for it, 1599 - the most inappropriate time possible because the following year was 1600 with three digits changing as opposed to usually one and rarely two!  Rather than throw away the prepared 159- "future-proof" dies, they decided to alter the middle two digits from -59- to -60-.  The first digit (thankfully!) didn't need changing and all they had to do was add the 0 to the end of the date, as well as add the initial mark in the gap provided.  Thus we have 1600 over 159- coins.  Interestingly, these 159- dies were also used in 1601 but even after adding the final digit and changing the middle two, they discovered that the first and last digits were so far apart in time that they were actually from different punches and so different!  Demand for English coin was much in decline at this period so these were tiny mintages: 1600 as a date represents a frequency of 0.4% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1600 is the fifth rarest of all forty two dates.  I have to say that I don't see 1600 as being as abundant as that, and I'm far from the only person saying that.  A rare coin indeed.  £475

 

WTH-7558:  1601 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Seventh issue, initial mark 1, S.R. 2584.  Toned.  1601 as a date represents a frequency of 0.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.7% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1601 is the tenth rarest of all forty two dates.  These later dates are invariably lower grade and problematic but this coin certainly bucks that trend.  £285

Provenance:

ex Ken Bressett collection,

ex H. Mitchell ($140 twenty years ago)

 

WTH-9141:  1601 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Seventh issue, initial mark 1, 29th July 1601 to 14th May 1602.  S.R. 2585.  1601 as a date represents a frequency of 0.6% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 0.7% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  1601 is the tenth rarest of all forty two dates. This is an interesting coin in that it's a straight 1601, rather than an earlier 159- recycled die where the middle 5 and 9 were overstruck with a 6 and a 0.  The final 1 would have been added at the same time.  A large percentage of 1601 sixpences were from recycled 159- dies (even after they'd recycled many of those dies for the 1600 coinage!) as the coinage output for the late 1590's was far below what the dies were set up to produce.  As such, this coin was probably struck late into the issue, early 1602.  Of note is the 0 in the date - it's unusually small compared to the rest of the date.  They also felt the need to strike it twice - absolutely no idea why they'd do that, unless they thought they were using a larger 0 on the second strike?! - which implies the actual die was a 16-- die, not a 160- die, with the final two digits (as well as the initial marks) being added after the main striking.  Interesting though that is, of perhaps more importance is the grade.  These later sixpences were notoriously poor in terms of dies and strike (and sometimes even the silver alloy) compared with the earlier dates.  This coin is actually a pleasing VF example for issue and thus rare.  £465

Provenance:

ex John Noel Simpson collection

ex Spink

 

WTH-7174:  1602 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Seventh issue, initial mark 2 – the last ever date in the lengthy Elizabeth 1st sixpence series.  S.R. 2585.  1602 as a date represents a frequency of 1.9% for the 2,716 recorded single finds of Elizabeth 1st coins and 2.1% for all 5,588 recorded Elizabeth 1st hoard coins.  Sold with an auction printout as well as a collector’s cabinet ticket.  £125

 

 

 

Groats

 

WTH-9368:  Elizabeth 1st Early Hammered Silver Groat or Fourpence.  Initial mark Cross Crosslet, Tower (London) mint, bust 1F, second issue, S.R. 2556.  Second issue Martlet hammered groats were only struck for a total of 10 months (9th December 1560 to 24th October 1561) – interestingly, the Martlets and Cross Crosslets were the last hammered groats issued under her reign, even though Elizabeth reigned for a further 40+ years.  Attractively toned, very nice grade - a pleasing example of a very early Elizabeth 1st coin that as a denomination, wouldn't be seen again for the remainder of Elizabeth's reign.  James 1st had no groats, even though he issued halfgroats.  Indeed, it wasn't until the actual Civil War, some 80 years on from this coin, that we see groats make a reappearance.  £435

 

WTH-9387:  Elizabeth 1st Early Hammered Silver Groat or Fourpence.  Initial mark Martlet, Tower (London) mint, bust 1F, second issue, S.R. 2556.  Second issue Martlet hammered groats were only struck for a total of 10 months (9th December 1560 to 24th October 1561) – interestingly, the Martlets and Cross Crosslets were the last hammered groats issued under her reign, even though Elizabeth reigned for a further 40+ years.  Attractively toned, very nice grade - just look at all the detail on the Queen's portrait!  A most pleasing example of a very early Elizabeth 1st coin that, as a denomination, wouldn't be seen again for the remainder of Elizabeth's reign.  James 1st had no groats, even though he issued halfgroats.  Indeed, it wasn't until the actual Civil War under Charles 1st, some 80 years on from this coin, that we see groats make a long overdue reappearance.  £435

 

 

 

Threepences

 

WTH-7300:  1561 Elizabeth 1st Rare Large Flan Hammered Silver Threepence.  Third and Fourth Issues of 1561-77, rose behind Queen, reverse dated.  Large 15mm flan (in fact, this one is nearer to 16mm), S.R. 2564.  Creased and straightened, with some resultant cracking, as so many of these newly introduced issues were – the public were still on hightened alert for fakes after the numismatic escapades of Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, and her bother, Edward VI, although to be fair, the early issues of Edward VI, extremely debased as they were, had very little to do with the Edward.  It is unusual to see dated threepences for the 1560’s but they obviously do exist.  1561 was something of a prolific year for threepences BUT, this very first issue of 1561, in fact the very first Elizabeth 1st threepence issued), with it’s large flan, is represented by a single die only.  Brown, Comber & Wilkinson postulate that this large flan threepence was a two month trial period of experimentation.  The start date of production was 26th October 1561 and the end date – the date where they decided to change to the smaller flans, was December 1561 or early January 1562.  A rare and important coin.  £345

 

WTH-7608:  156Z/1 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Third & fourth issues, initial mark Pheon, S.R. 2565.  An interesting die.  You might be thinking this was an error (a Z for a 2) but you’d be wrong.  1561 was a huge year for sixpence output as well as threepences, but not on the same scale.  Like the sixpences, some of the 61 dies that hadn’t broken were recycled, along with the unused 1561 “reserve” dies.  They decided a Z made a better number 2 – there were no 1562/1 threepences and indeed, there was even a straight 156Z issued when they’d recycled all the old 1561 dies.  It was midway through 1562 that the decision was taken to change the Z for a proper 2.  This Z for 2 was actually nothing new as the earlier Edward VI crowns also used a Z for a 2.  Sold with an old ticket that (incorrectly) states 156Z/2.   A nice grade coin.  £135

 

WTH-7312:  1563 over 2 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Third & fourth issues, initial mark Pheon, S.R. 2565.  Just like the sixpence, 1563 is one of the rarest dates in the entire series.  There are only x2 dies recorded by Brown, Comber & Wilkinson (2006) for 1563 and further, only one of those is this overdate.  Ex Dupree (a well respected collection) and ex Capozollo.  A rare coin.  £245

 

WTH-7287:  1566 Rare Date Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Threepence.  Initial mark Portcullis.  Third and fourth issues, smaller flan, regular bust, S.R. 2565.  Not so rare in sixpences but when you consider that there were only TWO 1566 threepence dies in use, with NO overdates (2006 data), it’s rare in threepences.  A general rule of thumb you may wish to note is that 1560’s Elizabeth 1st coins, bar sixpences, are rarer.  This date is an extremely rare year.  Excellent grade - much better in the hand than the images suggest, hence the extra cheap camera phone image I’ve included.  £265

 

WTH-7418:  1568 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence in Higher Grade.  Third and fourth issues (although Wilkinson, Comber & Brown go further by designated this as Third Coinage only), initial mark Coronet.  S.R. 2566.  I’ve been asked several times about the odd looking 8 in 1568 coinage.  It looks for all it’s worth to be an 8 over 7, but in fact they are all straight 68 dates unless you can see the ghosting of the angled diagonal of the 7 under the 8.  The die sinkers simply gave the 8 a flat top.  This coin benefits from yet another unusual feather in that the bottom circle of the 8 is broken!  There is a rarer variety where the flat top of the 8 is on the bottom, ie an inverted 8 but interestingly, this coin is actually rarer than the inverted 8 3d types!  1568 threepences utilised only three dies – 68/7 (the 8 being inverted), 68 (the 8 being inverted), and a 1568 with “normal” flat topped 8, meaning the flat topped 8 1568 threepence is rarer by 2:1.  An interesting coin and much, much better grade than normally seen.  £225

 

WTH-7088:  1570 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Initial mark Castle, third and fourth issues, S.R. 2566. Ex Eccles collection.  £95

 

WTH-7377:  1571 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Third and fourth issues, initial mark Castle.  S.R. 2566.  A very pleasing example.  £185

 

WTH-7417:  1572 (2 over inverted 2) Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Third and fourth issues (although Wilkinson, Comber & Brown go further by designated this as Third Coinage only), initial mark Ermine.  S.R. 2566.  A really interesting die sinker’s error where the final 2 of the date was originally inverted or upside down.  Quality control picked up on this (ie someone happened to notice it!) and so rather than start a new die from scratch, they simply put a correctly orientated 2 over the top of the error.  This is a single die (you’ll be pleased to hear the mistake was not repeated!) and can be chronologically attributed to the very first issue of 1572, ie 19th April onwards.  £185

 

WTH-7301:  1575/4 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Third and fourth issue, initial mark Eglantine, ear showing.  S.R. 2566.  A very nice grade coin but perhaps of more interest is the overdate: 1575/4.  Brown, Comber & Wilkinson published that only a single recorded 75/4 die was known in 2006.  In the intervening years, more examples have been unearthed resulting in x3 dies now being known and a miniscule 9 recorded examples of this overdate only.  For those interested, Eglantine spanned 29th May 1574 to 13th July 1578 so it is clear to see what happened – as the year turned to 1575, the 74 Eglantine dies were still good enough to use, thus initial mark Eglantine was able to remain and a simple date adjustment to the die (although if that’s all they had to do, you have to question the skill of the die sinker based on the result!) sufficed.  £175

 

WTH-7249:  1575 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Initial mark Eglantine, third & fourth issues, regular bust, S.R. 2566.  This particular initial mark was relatively long-lived, being introduced 29th May 1574 and shelved 13th July 1578.  However, 1575 dated coins are represented by a single die only.  This is most surprising until we realise that there were actually plenty of 1575 dies sunk, but they were not used in 1575.  There is a 1575/4, which I only mention for context.  The bulk of the 1575 unused reverse dies were: 1576/5, 1577/5, 1577/6/5, 1578/7/5.  An unusually high grade example and a rare date / im combination.  Rare on both counts.  £235

 

WTH-7389:  1576/5 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Threepence.  Initial mark Eglantine, third & fourth issues.  S.R. 2566.  A rarer year with only one straight 76 die and this modified 76 over 75 die according to Brown, Comber & Wilkinson.  £165

 

WTH-7378:  1579 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Threepence.  Fifth issue, initial mark Greek Cross.  S.R. 2573.  Just the single die pairing being recorded by Comber, Wilkinson & Brown, although there was another pair prepared which were not used in 1579 but were overdated and used in 1580.  This coin is not far off being as struck, although the obverse strike quality could have been better.  £195

 

 

 

Halfgroats

 

WTH-7573:  1560-61 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Halfgroat.  Initial mark Martlet, second issue, S.R. 2557.  Collectors will be aware that of all the smaller denominations, the halfgroats suffered most in terms of clipping, wear and sometimes the quality of actual coinage leaving the mint.  Finding a really nice halfgroat is virtually impossible whereas pennies, and even the fractions, are relatively abundant.  Sold with collector’s cabinet ticket together with an information printout.  £155

 

WTH-7313:  1584-86 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Halfgroat.  Sixth issue, initial mark Escallop, S.R. 2579.  Collectors will be aware that of all the smaller denominations, the halfgroats suffered most in terms of clipping, wear and sometimes the quality of actual coinage leaving the mint.  Finding a really nice halfgroat is virtually impossible whereas pennies, and even the fractions, are relatively abundant.  £175

 

WTH-7646:  Elizabeth 1st Tudor Hammered Silver Halfgroat.   Seventh and final issue with initial mark 1 so 1601.  Further image here.  London mint, S.R. 2579.  Ex Shaun Aldom collection.  £185

 

WTH-8029:  1560-61 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Halfgroat.  Initial mark Martlet, second issue, S.R. 2557.  Collectors will be aware that of all the smaller denominations, the halfgroats suffered most in terms of clipping, wear and sometimes the quality of actual coinage leaving the mint.  Finding a really nice halfgroat is virtually impossible whereas pennies, and even the fractions, are relatively abundant.  A really nice example that evaded the best efforts of the Tudor and Stuart clippers!  £185

 

 

 

Pennies

 

WTH-7360:  Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Penny.  Third & fourth issue, initial mark Crescent, 1587-89.  S.R. 2580.  Ex Dr E. Burstall collection.  £69

 

 

 

Three Farthings

 

WTH-7332:  1561 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Three Farthings.  The three farthings – a bizarre dated fractional denomination – started in 1561 and ended in 1582 (with just x15 dates used), never to see the numismatic light of day again.  Interestingly, the Elizabethan public would not have been as flabbergasted at the introduction of this odd coin as perhaps we are: Irish base coinage was circulating at this time in England at 25% face value and the earlier English base issue halfgroats were officially reduced in September 1560 as, wait for it… three farthings.  The public of the day were well aware of this required fractional calculation.  Only three different dies recorded for this date.  Initial mark Pheon, which didn’t even start production until the end of the year in 26th October 1561!!  This coin ex Dr Tony Abramson (he paid £85 in 1989), ex Leeds Museum Winter 1994/5 display and ex Spink, the latter having been tasked with dispersing the Abrahamson collection in 2021.  Tickets here.  S.R. 2571.  A most interesting coin.  £265

 

WTH-7432:  1562 Elizabeth I Hammered Silver Three Farthings.  Initial mark pheon, third and fourth coinage.  S.R. 2571.  A very rare date for this denomination as for the straight 2, there was only the single die in use at the tail end of the year (prior to this they were using recycled 1561 dies, ie 1562/1).  It got so little usage in 1562 that in was recycled in 1564 (there was no issue of this denomination in 1563) as a 1564/2.  The three farthings wasn’t even worth a penny and yet they went to a great deal of effort to create the dies for this unlikely fractional unit, incorporating a date and really working on sinking dies on an almost microscopic level, especially when you consider they only had daylight or candlelight and with little of today’s magnification techniques.  Die sinkers in particular often lost their eyesight in later life, and of course, “later life” in Tudor times was probably around 40 or younger!  The three farthings – a bizarre dated fractional denomination – started in 1561 and ended in 1582 (with just x15 dates used), never to see the numismatic light of day again.  Interestingly, the Elizabethan public would not have been as flabbergasted at the introduction of this odd coin as perhaps we are: Irish base coinage was circulating at this time in England at 25% face value and the earlier English base issue halfgroats were officially reduced in September 1560 as, wait for it… three farthings.  The public of the day were well aware of this required fractional calculation.  An iconic denomination, unique to Elizabeth 1st,    £265

 

WTH-7434:  1575 over 5 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Three Farthings.  Initial mark eglantine, third and fourth coinage.  S.R. 2571.  Rare over-date, completely unrecorded by Comber, Wilkinson.  1575 was a single die year with the same die in use in the following year as a modified / recycled 1576/5, thus showing that very few 1575 three halfpence were struck, and a further two 1575 dies, which were prepared but never used in that year, used in 1578 (1578/5), 1579 (1579/5) and 1581 (1581/75).  The three farthings wasn’t even worth a penny and yet they went to a great deal of effort to create the dies for this unlikely fractional unit, incorporating a date and really working on sinking dies on an almost microscopic level, especially when you consider they only had daylight or candlelight and with little of today’s magnification techniques.  Die sinkers in particular often lost their eyesight in later life, and of course, “later life” in Tudor times was probably around 40 or younger!  The three farthings – a bizarre dated fractional denomination – started in 1561 and ended in 1582 (with just x15 dates used), never to see the numismatic light of day again.  Interestingly, the Elizabethan public would not have been as flabbergasted at the introduction of this odd coin as perhaps we are: Irish base coinage was circulating at this time in England at 25% face value and the earlier English base issue halfgroats were officially reduced in September 1560 as, wait for it… three farthings.  The public of the day were well aware of this required fractional calculation.  An iconic denomination, unique to Elizabeth 1st.  £295

 

 

 

Halfpennies

 

WTH-7497:  1587-89 Elizabeth 1st Milled Silver Halfpenny.  Sixth issue, initial mark Crescent.  S.R. 2581.  Ex David Rogers’ collection.  I had a similar coin from the famous Chris Comber collection and on his ticket, he had Crescent down as a “Rare Mark”.  For those collectors interested in marrying up coins with historical events, 1588 is the date of the Spanish Armada.  £145

 

WTH-7913:  1602 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Portcullis Halfpenny.  Initial mark 2, seventh issue, S.R. 2588.  It is interesting to note that the halfpenny was a late addition to the varied Elizabethan portfolio of denominations, being introduced post 1582 in the sixth coinage.  Only a single pair of dies was used throughout the reign, and indeed the same die pair was used very early on under James 1st.  During 1601, the obverse die became damaged and was repaired.  All subsequent coins show the repair (left hand side of the portcullis - no bolt connecting the third horizontal bar to the second vertical bar), including the James 1st issue.  This coin has no such repair and so is one of those very interesting contemporary counterfeits.  These are superbly done but to be fair, it was the easiest coin to copy.  Ex Chris Comber collection.  What a coin!  £195

 

WTH-7951:  Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Portcullis Halfpenny.  Sixth issue, Tower (London) mint, initial mark A, 1582-84, S.R. 2581.  A tiny Tudor coin, although not the tiniest, being extremely well struck and in very good grade.  Ex Mike Vosper ticket with an anomalous description but the correct S.R. number, conceivably indicating a ticket dated to before S.R. changed the issue groupings around.  £155

 

 

 

“Other”

 

WTH-7390:  Elizabeth 1st Queen Under Canopy Copper Jetton or Medalet.  Struck under the reign of King James 1st, 1610-15, by Hans Krauwinkel at Nuremberg.  All “monarch under canopy” jettons are rare.  Ex Porter (1994), ex Walter Wilkinson.  £145

 

WTH-9175:  1589 Elizabeth 1st Large Silver Medal - Dangers Averted.  Alluding to the destruction of the Spanish Armada and the removal of probably the greatest danger Elizabeth 1st faced in her very long reign.  As with the first Roman invasion in 55 BC, the good old British weather saved the day.  The obverse depicts the Queen in high relief, wearing pearls, an extremely large ruff, etc; the reverse, a bay-tree, uninjured by lightning and winds, E.R. flanking it.  Medallic Illustrations (i) 155/133, listed as RARE.  Cast & chased silver, 61mm x 45mm, 31.48 grams in weight, high grade.  Medallic Illustrations - published in the 1800's - suggests this medal "... was probably executed  during the last century", so 1700's in date, although it is interesting to note that the obverse bay-tree die is from M.I. (i) 148/119, a naval reward dated 1588 which is very much a contemporary medal of the day.  Coinage is there to do a job and also to promote the monarch of the day, whereas medals are there to symbolise achievements, recognition, and honour, but again, promotion of the monarch of the day was never something to shy away from!  A large silver medal in high grade with unequivocal eye-appeal.  Rare.  £550

 

WJC-9351: (19) Elizabeth 1st : 1616-38 Silver Simon de Passe Token.  Machine-pressed silver tokens or counters depicting the monarchs of England, issued in sets (thought to be thirty six), composed either of pieces of different monarchs or repetitions of the same type.  Thought to be primarily used as markers or counters "for reckoning and for play".  The dies were very cleverly sunk to give the impression of a hand-engraved silver token.  Some of these counters were executed early in the 1616-38 period by Nicholas Hilliard, jeweller; goldsmith and engraver to Elizabeth 1st and afterwards to James 1st.  In 1617, Hilliard received a patent granting him the monopoly for twelve years of all the engraved portraits of the King and the Royal Family.  He subsequently sold licences to other engravers to execute these counters, one of which was to Simon de Passe and his brother, both of whom excelled in the art of engraving.  This sub-licence to the de Passe brothers was issued late in the reign of James 1st.  Collectively, these tokens are all termed De Passe tokens for convenience.  £245

Provenance:

From a collection put together over a great many years; dispersed by Spink.