This week’s fresh listings (scroll down):

 

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

 

Additions to www.HistoryInCoins.com for week commencing Tuesday 21st March 2023

 

 

Previous Weeks’ Listings (scroll down this page for “This Week’s Listings”):

WSC-7698:  Scottish James III Hammered Copper Three-Penny Penny.  Formally regarded as an Ecclesiastical “Crossraguel” issue of Bishop Kennedy.  Spink 5309.  If you’re interested, the Scottish had a penchant for naming coins from the actual coin legends (the Nonsunt under Mary springs to mind) and this is no exception.  James III was an interesting individual.  Crowned aged 9, the Scots lost Berwick to keep the peace with England but gained Orkney and the Shetland Isles as a part dowry (which makes you wonder what the other part of the dowry was!) when James married Margaret of Denmark (she was just 13).  James III was so unpopular due to his lifestyle and blind insistence upon a policy of pursuing an alliance with the Kingdom of England that he was, perhaps inevitably, murdered after his defeat at Sauchieburn.  Struck on a generous flan with a nice grade reverse.  £245

 

WSC-7699:  Scottish James IV Hammered Billon Silver Penny.  Type III with a larger bust, Spink 5361.  Edinburgh mint.  Ex Patrick Finn from the 1990’s (sold £150), ex Mark Rasmusson.  Excellent grade for issue.  £285

 

WSC-7700:  Scottish James V Hammered Billon Silver 4d Plack.  First coinage, 1513-26, Spink 5381.  Edinburgh mint.  Excellent grade for issue, being arguably better than the Spink plate coin.  £285

 

WSC-7701:  1575 Scottish James VI Hammered Silver Half Merk or Noble.  Second coinage, 6s 8d, Spink 5478.  A better date.  Ex Mark Rasmusson.  Very nice grade.  £395

 

WSC-7702:  1594 Scottish James VI Hammered Silver Five Shillings.  Seventh coinage, Spink 5478.  This is a much rarer denomination that the ten shillings – London Coins state they’ve only ever handled one example in x20 years, which is this coin.  Excellent grade.  £495

 

WMH-7703:  Henry 1st Hammered Silver NORMAN Penny.  Small profile / cross & annulets type, B.M.C. XII, circa 1119 only.  Spink 1273.  Mint and moneyer uncertain – if it wasn’t for the questionable slabbing on this coin, I suspect something could be gleaned.  Ex B. Tregen collection, ex Mike Vosper (that ticket originally lost but now found and thus sold with the coin).  Hard to photograph but actually good central detail with peripheral weakness in the strike.  I’m told it’s easy to remove the plastic slab.  £885

 

WTH-7704:  1561 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Three Halfpence (1 1/2d).  Third issue, initial mark Pheon, rarer large flan, Spink 2568.  Ex Chris Comber collection.  Outstanding grade.  £265

 

WTH-7705:  1568 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Third issue, initial mark Coronet, Spink 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-7706:  1576 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Third issue, initial mark Eglantine, Spink 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.  Strong reverse, especially date.  £125

 

WTH-7707:  1588 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Crescent, Spink 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 158- 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.  RESERVED

 

WTH-7708:  1589 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Crescent, Spink 2578A.  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 seventh rarest of all forty two dates.  Very nice grade for such a late issue.  RESERVED

 

WTH-7709:  1597 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Tudor Sixpence.  Sixth issue, initial mark Key, Spink 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-7710:  1589 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Spanish Armada Jetton or Medal.  Issued the year after the famous defeat of the Armada in May 1588.  30mm, 8h, 5.89g.  Eimer 63, MI(i) 153/128.  About as historically significant for this period in history as is possible.  £235

 

WAu-7694:  Henry VI Hammered Gold First Reign Noble.  Annulet issue of 1422-30.  Initial mark Lis, London mint, annulet by sword arm and in one reverse spandrel (1 0’clock).  Spink 1799.  6.87 grams, 4h, 34mm diameter.  Attractively toned, GVF grade.  Sold with a couple of old tickets, one being Baldwin’s – see here.   A handsome and desirable coin.  £5,585

 

WAu-7695:  Charles 1st Hammered Gold Crown.  Initial mark Lis, Tower mint under the King.  Group A, first bust of 1625 depicting the king in his coronation robes.  Excellent grade, being the very first gold crown to be issued under Charles 1st.  £1,795

 

WSC-7696:  Mary Scottish Stuart Hammered Billon Silver Bawbee.  First period, 1542-58, before her marriage - remember, Mary was born December 1542.  Issue of ¾ alloy.  Edinburgh mint, voided saltire cross, Spink 5433.  A really nice grade example of this invariably less than desirable issue.  £345

 

WI-7697:  Irish Edward IV Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  Clear mint signature CIVI TAS DVB LIn - Dublin.  This is a Heavy Cross & Pellets issue of 1465 only.  Spink is not particularly helpful here, this coin being an unlisted variety.  Burns' Du-1aH: no special markings obverse with a reverse single plain cross (relatively uncommon) with two extra pellets.  The entire Cross & Pellets issues (1465-79) were struck on small, underweight flans and not, as is generally believed, clipped coins.  Officially the heavy issue was minted at 0.7g but the reality is they are virtually all under 0.5g.  I refer the reader to Lord Stewartby’s excellent work, English Coins, 1180-1551 where he reveals what went on in the northern mints during this period – the Irish did it even better!  A superb grade / size coin for issue.  £355

 

WMH-7689:  William “Rufus” II Norman Hammered Silver Penny.  Cross in quatrefoil issue (B.M.C. II) of 1089–92 only.  COLBERN ON PALI – Kolbjern of Wallingford.  Only x4 recorded examples on the EMC / SCBI database.  This coin from the same dies as SCBI Ashmolean 186, BMC 160 and Locket 1017, which I think must be a first for a coin with so few recorded examples!  1.39 grams / 9h.  Mis-struck on the obverse, as is at least one of the four EMC / SCBI coins.  Good provenance (see tickets) – ex A. Byde collection, ex C.J. Martin (1981), ex Royal Berkshire collection.  £1,850

 

WTH-7690:  1601 Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Halfcrown.  Seventh issue, Spink 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

 

WSC-7691:  1560 / 1578 Francis and Mary Scottish Stuart Hammered Silver HALF Testoon.  Second period, 1558-60, type II, dated 1560, Spink 5420.  Weight 2.83 grams and die rotation 11h.  A rare later issue HALF Testoon but elevated to being much, much rarer with the addition of the 1578 crowned thistle counterstamp under James VI, officially revaluing this coin from its original 2s 6d to a heady 3s 8d – see page 76 of the most recent Scottish edition of Spink.  Coincraft are usually good for useful bits of information – see here.  The third issue coin that they allude to, the only other recorded example on their database, is Spink 5423 – Third Period.  An exceptionally rare / likely to be unique coin which would be one of the highlights in any Scottish collection; national or private.  £5,875

 

 


This Week’s Listings:

 

 

WMH-7711:  William 1st Hammered Silver Norman Penny.  B.M.C. 1, Profile left, cross fleury issue of 1066-68.  +BRIHTNAR ON PIN – Britmar of Wallingford (Oxford).  Spink 1250.  A rare Norman mint.  Only two other examples recorded on the EMC / SCBI database, making this the third and one of those is unconfirmed.  This is a better coin than the other confirmed example.  Ex Seaby (sold for £275 in 1979), ex Royal Berkshire Collection – see tickets.  Nicely toned, good VF.  A superb coin going all the way back to the actual Norman invasion – Harold’s arrow to the eye, the Bayous Tapestry etc.  £2,450

 

WTH-7712:  Henry VIII Hammered Silver Tudor Halfpenny.  Second coinage, 1526-44, Canterbury Episcopal mint struck under Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.  Spink 2358.  High grade and ex Lingford collection with his original ticket.  RESERVED

WCA-7713:  Charles 1st Hammered Silver Civil War Era Hafcrown.  Group III third horseman, initial mark (P), 1643-4.  3a3 and importantly for the Civil War link, struck at the Tower Mint under Parliament.  Spink 2778.  A high grade example of this often poorly struck issue – the dies of 3a3 were all of cruder workmanship, presumably as a result of the troubled times.  Two point of interest:  a) At 14.53g, this is clearly underweight (should be 15g) but there is no evidence whatsoever of clipping.  Again, this is either down to the preoccupation of the war or even deliberate cost-cutting?  b) There is a bevelled area on the obverse, where the ground line should be, and a second, perpendicular to this one, running vertically up through the horses head.  These (and two others which are not apparent) show us that this coin was struck x4 times.  You might be thinking why the extra three?  Well, pennies could be struck with a single hit but thick silver planchets such as this required multiple strikes to get the die cuttings onto the coin.  In my opinion, it’s nice to see such indicators.  A stunning coin.  RESERVED

 

WCom-7714:  1651 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Sun so struck under the Protectorship of Oliver Cromwell – later Anchor coins were under his son, Richard Cromwell.  2.92g.  Spink 3217.  ESC lists three varieties: 51/49, 51 with no stops at the initial mark and a straight 51.  This is none of those.  Three point of interest, other than the obvious high grade nature of this coin:  a)  The obverse is a 1649 die and the reverse is a most interesting 1650 die with a modified date of 1651 (thanks to the wonderful and very knowledgeable Sun&Anchor for this), meaning that this coin was struck using a die from a year that doesn’t exist!!  They did prepare 1650 dies but no silver coins were struck.  b) The obverse (non dated side), has a little bit of double striking going on but really, only apparent on the N and H of COMMONWEALTH.  The N is very localised, not affecting the two letters either side.  The H, however, is a different matter altogether – the H is literally UNDERNEATH the F of OF (how would that work for double striking?!) and further, the F over the H is a SMALLER F than the F of OF!  See image.  c) The reverse S of VS is struck over a V.  There is no indication of double striking on this side.  See image.  A superb coin - high grade, interesting and choice.  RESERVED

 

WSC-7715:  James V Stuart Hammered Billon Silver Bawbee or Sixpence.  Third coinage, 1538-42.  Struck at 0.250 silver fineness (earlier silver issues under “normal” times were struck at 0.833 silver fineness) although looking at this coin, you’d perhaps question if it really is that low.  Annulet over obverse I so Spink 5384.  Old ticket here – ex B.A. Seaby (August 1982), ex Baldwin’s.  A remarkably high grade coin, easily bettering the Spink plate coin which with their vast resources of contacts, was the best example they could source.  Choice.  £435

 

WI-7716:  1601 Irish Elizabeth 1st Hammered Copper Penny.  Initial mark Trefoil and on a generous planchets.  Most of these coins come out of the ground (it is interesting to note that examples have been unearthed from the Jamestown site in America, along with later James 1st hammered silver coinage) and as a result the copper corrodes.  The entire Third Issue of Irish coinage, 1601-02 only, was an emergency issue brought about by the need to pay the large numbers of soldiers who were in Ireland.  Their role was to defeat the “independent and warlike” Irish of the North, under the leadership of O’Neil, and to expeditiously “Shire” Ireland and bring it under English rule, basically making Ireland an extension of England.  The Earl of Essex was in command of the English troops but was recalled to England where he was duly executed.  His replacement, Mountjoy, somewhat motivated by the fate of his predecessor, did a much better job.  Virtually as struck and as such, choice.  £335