Ancient Gold Coins

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Scottish & English Hammered Gold Coins:

 

WAu-6973:  Henry VIII Hammered Gold Angel.  First coinage, initial mark Castle (with an unusual pellet above the left side), 1509 – 1526.  28mm, 5.05 grams.  Tower mint, Schneider 557-8 for type.  Spink 2265.  Ex El Medina collection.  Henry VIII was a very different man and king in this first coinage.  Later in his 38 year reign (it always seems like it was much longer to me!), events centred around the king became undoubtedly more interesting, but far less pleasant.  The Portcullis initial mark is usually seen on these first coinage Angels so this is a slightly rarer coin.  Another point of interest in the h and rose either side of the mast on the ship.  This signifies the ship on the reverse of the coin was the Mary Rose; Henry’s flagship for 34 years until it sank in July 1545 in the battle of the Solent, as Henry VIII looked on.  The wreckage of the Mary Rose wasn’t discovered until 1971 and not raised until 1982.  I’m giving my age away here when I tell you that I went down to Portsmouth in the sixth form to officially visit Portsmouth Polytechnic but unofficially go and see the Mary Rose shortly after the display was put on.  I recall that I had absolutely no intention whatsoever of signing up to that institution – in those days not only did the government give you money to attend university, they also paid you to go and visit such places.  I remember the Mary Rose display vividly, even after all these years – I genuinely can’t remember if I even bothered to go to Portsmouth Polytechnic that day!  Sold with a couple of tickets.  A very interesting, hammered gold coin from one of England’s most iconic monarchs.  £1,975 RESERVED (M.H.19-1-21)

 

WAu-6967:  Charles 1st Hammered Gold Unite.  Tower mint under the king, initial mark Crown / Crown over Bell (1635-36), class D, bust 5, Spink 2692.  A very good grade, problem-free coin.  The weight is 8.95 grams, which is virtually full weight and all the more interesting when you bear in mind that around 1630, the mint initiated a policy of issuing reduced weight unites in order to save money.  This coin, a good five years into that process, survived remarkably unscathed.  £2,795 RESERVED

 

 

 

English Gold Milled Coins:

 

George III

 

WAu-5714:  1810 George III Gold Third Guinea.  Second bust (short hair).  No mount marks and EF grade.  Spink price is £625 (2021).  £459

 

WAu-6898:  1788 over 87 George III Full gold Guinea.  Fifth laureate bust, “spade” shield.  Extremely rare overdate variety (see here) that is mentioned in Spink (S.3729) as being “known to exist”.  Not mentioned at all in Coincraft.  This image (here) shows the weight and the edge at 12 o’clock to show there has been no mounting of this coin.  A great rarity in the series.  £1,750