This week’s fresh listings:

This page is to be updated every Tuesday and will contain all the latest Coin, Medal & Token listings for that particular week.

The more observant of you may have realised that I no longer keep previous "Fresh Listings" coins on this page.

All for sale coins can be found via the category grid on the front page. Most sold coins are now accessible via a new link on that same category grid.

Additions to www.HistoryInCoins.com for week commencing Tuesday 13th May 2025

Fresh research on this listing, identifying the old ticket to an important mid-century collection of choice Scottish coins.

WSC-9142: Scottish James III Hammered Billon Silver Sixpenny Groat. Second base silver issue of 1471-83. Edinburgh mint - this being the only mint in operation for this base issue, whereas it was Edinburgh and Berwick for the two issues either side (first and third issues). Aberdeen was also utilised much later in the reign. Obverse: renaissance bust of James III, half-right in surcoat and armour. Reverse: a floriate cross with thistleheads and mullets in alternate angles. This was the first use of the Thistlehead on Scottish coinage. Struck at 0.770 fineness. S.R. 5270. A very rare issue. See old tickets here. Also, this was a base silver issue - with the groat being 6d in face value whereas the first and third issues were 0.925 fineness and 12d face value - thus the coins did not survive the rigours of time as did the relatively inert 0.925 silver issues. I refer the reader to the S.R. plate coin in the current guide, it being the very best they could find with all their contacts. That coin is much inferior to this coin. One of the main problems with the meagre handful of nice grade examples of the base issue groat is the reverse thistleheads - they're invariably unrecognisable or at best, poor. Again, I refer the reader to the S.R. plate coin. See also the Coincraft plate coin (poor), the National Museum of Scotland's sole example (figure 72 in their sylloge), which is better than the S.R. plate coin but nothing like as good as this coin. The Hunterian Museum (Glasgow) has but a single example (#749 in their sylloge) which is similar to the National Museum of Scotland's example. Moving out of Scotland, the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) holds three examples (#750-3 in the sylloge), all three being worn and on a par with the National Museum of Scotland's indifferent example. In summary, I've been unable to find a single example of this extremely rare issue that is frankly anywhere near as good as this coin. Choice. £3,475

Provenance:

ex Dr James Davidson (1896-1985) - his ticket (thank you to Kerry Wilson for the excellent research in identifying this significant collection)

ex Spink, sold to...

ex Layland Scott - a collection of choice hammered coins put together over a great many years

Additions:

WSax-9144: Outstanding Middle Saxon OFFA PORTRAIT Hammered Silver Penny. Kings of Mercia. Light coinage, c.780-96, London mint, moneyer IBBA, S.R.905  This reference encompasses many different reverses, this one being termed a Floriate cross with lozenge centre reverse – North 301.  Many historians regard Offa as the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king before Alfred the Great. His dominance never extended to Northumbria, though he gave his daughter Ælfflæd in marriage to the Northumbrian king Æthelred I in 792. Historians once saw his reign as part of a process leading to a unified England but more recent thinking, including that by the historian Simon Keynes, sums up the king's reign thus: "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not a vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy," which actually makes Offa sound like a quite good ruler when compared to what came before and definitely what came after! Weight 1.01 grams. Graded GVF on the old ticket - outstanding edges, high grade with slight porosity, commensurate with a field-find of this age.. Note that we don't have usual crystallisation of the silver alloy that is normally seen on these early issues. A superb example. £4,250

WSax-9145: Extraordinarily Nice ALFRED the Great PORTRAIT Middle Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.  Kings of Wessex unbroken lunettes type, first coinage, AD 871-75.   Diademed and draped bust right, +AELBRED REX. Rarer moneyer ELBERE (AELFHERE) of Canterbury (possibly London) mint - MON ELBERE ETA.  Weight 1.05g.  S.R. 1057, North 625.  Alfred the Great, circa 849-26 October 899, was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf. Three of Alfred's brothers, Æthelbald, Æthelberht and Æthelred, reigned in turn before him. Under Alfred's rule, considerable administrative and military reforms were introduced, prompting lasting change in England. Outstanding edges, high grade with some surface patchiness commensurate with a field-find of this age. Note that we don't have usual crystallisation of the silver alloy that is normally seen on these early issues. A superb example. £4,350

Provenance:

Found Saffron Waldron (recorded E.M.C 2024.0184)