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

HistoryInCoins.com

 

in 2024

 

WMH-7829:  Henry 1st NORMAN Hammered Silver DOUBLE INSCRIPTION Penny.  B.M.C. XI, 1116 only: +ALDPINE / ON SEFTE – Aldwine of Shaftsbury.  Spink 1272.  Only fourteen Shaftsbury coins of all Henry 1st types recorded on the EMC database with no examples of Double Inscription coins recorded.  Further, this coin is the best grade example of all Shaftsbury mint coins, all types, on EMC.  Ex Mike Vosper (his ticket) who sold this coin to the famous Causeway Collection in 2018.  A stunning coin – there will be no better.  Unambiguously Choice.  SOLD

 

WSC-8132:  John Baliol Scottish Medieval Hammered Silver Long Cross Penny.  First coinage, "Rough Surface" issue, struck early on in the 1292-6 period.  The rare St Andrews mint.  Spink 5067.  John Baliol was “chosen” out of thirteen competitors for the Scottish throne upon the death of Alexander III.  The English king, Edward I, was the arbitrator.  John Baliol’s four year reign ended in 1296 with his abdication when Berwick, Edinburgh, Perth, Roxburgh and Stirling all fell to the English.  Collectors will be aware that the vast majority of John Baliol coins were at the very back of the eye-appeal queue, non more-so the rough surface, first issue.  This coin absolutely bucks that trend with a remarkably superior obverse.  The reverse less-so due to double striking.  However, the St Andrews mint attribution elevates this coin to a much rarer level than mere grade.  I can list you many instances where Spink are just plain wrong in their pricing.  Let's be honest, we all can.  However, that they list the St Andrews Baliol penny at just £10 higher than a Berwick (ie standard) Baliol penny is, I think, now top of my "Spink: Incredulous Prices!!" list.  I have had only one other St Andrews example in the last 30 odd years and I even remember that it was not a patch on this one.  A rare find.  SOLD

 

WSC-7908:  1692 William & Mary Scottish Silver 10 Shillings.  Conjoined busts, GRATIA legend, small 10 under the busts - Spink 5661.  If you’re wondering why it is that Scottish coinage always seems to be worn to within an inch of its life, it’s because even though Scotland’s population was thin on the ground compared to England’s, the coinage minted wasn’t nearly enough to go around.  Also, the Scottish economy was such that coinage wasn’t secreted away for a rainy day – it was used repeatedly simply to survive.  This is a very nice coin indeed for issue, being fairly comparable with the Spink plate coin for 5660, which was the very best they could find from their not-so-little black book of contacts.  SOLD

 

WI-7099:  Irish Henry VIII Hammered Silver Groat.  Issued in commemoration of Henry’s marriage to Jane Seymour.  Spink 6473.  The rarer First (1st) Harp Issue, 1534-40 but this coin dated 1536-7 in commemoration of Henry’s marriage.  Subsequent wives to see their names (initials) in lights, or specifically on Harp groats, were Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.  Anne of Cleves seems to have been overlooked by Henry and by the time of Catherine Parr, he seemed to have realised that perhaps the coinage couldn’t keep up with his marriages.  This issue is at 0.842 silver fineness with later issues going the same way as that of the English silver coinage, ie downhill.  This coin encapsulated (PCGS) and graded VF35.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WI-7952:  Henry VIII with Katherine Howard Irish Hammered Silver Groat.  Issued in commemoration of Henry’s marriage to Katherine Howard.  Spink 6474.  The rarer First (1st) Harp Issue, 1534-40 and the rarest of the three wives mentioned on silver coinage.  Dated to 1540 only, in commemoration of a marriage that, in just 18 short months, ended with Katherine being beheaded.  Katherine had unwisely taken a lover (perhaps the unwise thing was in getting found out) and as the axe was poised over her soon to be severed neck, she took what little solace was available to her by (possibly) uttering the now famous line: " I die a queen, but would rather die the wife of Culpepper", that being the name of her lover.  And what of the infamous Culpepper, I hear you all ask?  Culpepper stood trial and, rather predictably, was found guilty.  He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, although Henry VIII, oddly enough, commuted Culpepper's sentence to a mere beheading.  There is no contemporary source illustrating just how grateful Culpepper was at Henry's magnanimous leniency.  Earlier wives to see their names (initials) in lights, or specifically on Harp groats, were Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour.  Interestingly, of Henry's six wives, only three are mentioned in this issue (and this issue is the only one to mention the wives), but the chronology of the silver issue coins goes:

wife 2 (Anne Boleyn),

wife 3 (Jane Seymour,

wife 5 (Katherine Howard - this coin). 

Catherine of Aragon (# 1) and Anne of Cleves (# 4) seem to have been overlooked by Henry and by the time of Catherine Parr (# 6), Henry seemed to have finally realised that perhaps the coinage couldn’t really keep up with his marriages.  This issue is at 0.842 silver fineness with later issues going the same way as that of the English silver coinage, ie downhill.  A rare coin.  SOLD

 

WI-8109:  Henry VIII with Anne Boleyn Hammered Silver Irish Groat.  Issued in commemoration of Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, the second and probably most famous of his six wives.  Spink 6472.  The rarer First (1st) Harp Issue, 1534-40 and the rarest of the three wives mentioned on silver coinage.  Spink have Katherine Howard rarer.  It's just not - they're not even close.  Dated to 1534-5, in commemoration of a marriage that lasted three years, produced the future Queen Elizabeth 1st but ultimately ended in Anne losing her head, quite literally, because she could not produce a male heir.  This issue is at 0.842 silver fineness with later issues going the same way as that of the English silver coinage under Henry, ie downhill.   This is only the second Anne Boleyn groat I've had, the first I remember selling within minutes of it being listed.  A rare coin and in exceptional grade for issue.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Michael J. McKeever collection

 

WI-7727:  John, as King of Ireland, Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  Another image here using a different camera and a less invasive light source.  Third REX coinage, circa 1199 - 1216.  Dublin mint with ROBERD as the moneyer.  Spink 6228.  A slight kink at 6 o’clock (easily rectified if so desired) otherwise darkly toned, not far off EF grade and as choice as they come.  SOLD

 

WMH-9026:  Stephen Norman Kings Hammered Silver Hoard Penny.  B.M.C. I, Cross Moline “Watford” type: [+]S[TANVNG:]ON:S[EREB] Stanung of Salisbury, a rarer Norman mint.  Spink 1278.  A superb portrait of Stephen - the detail bordering on EF for issue.  The reverse cross moline is equally strong, both with good toning, leading to the assumption that this coin had seen very little wear indeed before it was deposited in the ground nearly 900 years ago as part of the famous 1922 Lincolnshire South Kyme Hoard - a hoard of 324 silver pennies and cut coins were found on or before 1922.  It was deposited c.1141, comprising coins from the reigns of Henry I and King Stephen (see the Thompson Inventory of British Coin Hoards AD 600-1500, p.126-27).  Only five recorded examples on the EMC database for type mint and moneyer with this one up there with the best.  SOLD

Provenance

Ex M. Trenerry (1982 list #39 - sold for £205.  That's over 40 years ago now!)

Ex Lincolnshire South Kyme Hoard (on or before 1922)

 

WTH-7737:  Edward VI Tudor Hammered Silver Penny.   Third period, “very base issue” of 1551, in fact so much so that coinage from this debased issue circulated at 50% face value.  York mint, initial mark Mullet.  Old tickets.  Spink 2475.  Excellent detail and grade.  Choice.  SOLD

 

WAu-9024:  1739 George II Milled Gold TWO Guineas.  Intermediate laureate bust, head left, crowned shields of arms on the reverse.  Spink 3668.  See here for weight.  As we are all aware, gold guineas are seemingly exponential in their rise in popularity and (especially) price - the days of Spade guineas of George III at four figures are well upon us!  A good, solid coin that has not been mounted.  SOLD

 

WMH-9011:  Henry VI Hammered Silver Medieval Farthing.  First reign, Pinecone-Mascle issue of 1431-1432/3 only, London mint, Spink 1886.  Coincraft, a publication I have a great deal of time for, state: "All Henry VI farthings are rare".  They are usually obtainable in Fine condition only.  This coin is better than fine - I strongly disagree with the ticket assessment of Fine.  I've kept the little coin in the coin flip, the downside being it made it difficult to photograph to its full potential.  A very rare denomination.  SOLD

 

 

WSC-7910:  1637-42 Charles 1st Scottish 40 Pence.  Third coinage, Falconer issue.  Spink 5579.  The 40 pence is much harder to find than the 20 pence but more than that, the grade is excellent for issue - collectors will be aware how badly this denomination fared during the last 370 years.  This is one of the best examples I've ever had.  Provenance going right back to July 1951.  Rare thus.  SOLD

 

WI-7662:  1690 Irish Gun Money Full Crown.  James II emergency Civil War coinage of 1689-91.  Spink 6578.  Overstruck on the large Gun Money halfcrowns  - some original halfcrown detail still evident on the reverse – as by 1690, these were obsolete; replaced by the small size halfcrowns.  The obverse of the Gun Money crown (and it is just the crowns) has similarities to the earlier Charles 1st halfcrowns and crowns, which I’m sure was far from accidental.  It won’t have escaped readers’ attention that Gun Money coinage is currently riding high in terms of popularity.  After fleeing from England to France in 1688 – an effective abdication from the English throne – James II landed in Ireland March 1689 in order to promote his Catholic cause, something we are perhaps still living with today?!  He had insufficient funds to prosecute this war so the plan was to raise money by issuing base metal coinage in place of what would previously have been silver issues.  This was a less subtle example of the Quantitative Easing that we all witnessed a few years ago.  This coinage was set up with an intention for them to be exchanged for sterling coinage once the dust had settled.  This never happened.  The metal for these coins came from old cannon, bells and various other scrap metals that were termed “Gun Money”.  Ex Spink with very dark toning and dirt illustrating that this coin has not been cleaned.  SOLD

 

WMH-8094:  An Excellent Henry V Long Cross Hammered Silver Penny.  Initial mark Pierced Cross, York mint, mullet & lis by crown, initial mark Pierced Cross, annulet in reverse quarter - Spink 1791.  For a York mint coin, this is a remarkable, bordering on exceptional example, all the more so because this coin was struck from LOCAL DIES.  I have only ever had London mint coins as good as this before.  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.   Centrally struck both sides, good legends, minor clipping only, strong detail throughout.  This would have stood out when it was minted in amongst all the other coins that were poorly struck and from indifferent local dies.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WMH-7985:  Rare and Choice Henry VI Hammered Silver Medieval Penny.   Rosette-Mascle issue of 1430-31, London mint, with mascles both obverse & reverse and but a single reverse small die-filled rosette (see p.57 of Medieval Pennies Part II, Henry IV to Henry VI by D.I. Greenhalgh) at the very end of the legend.  Episcopal York together with Calais produced the vast bulk of Rosette-Mascle pennies with, to a slightly lesser extent, the Durham mint.  London pennies are incredibly rare and even though Spink go some way to highlighting this with their pricing, they do not show the full extent of just how rare these coins are.  The rarity continues to ramp up, albeit in a fresh direction: the initial mark appears to be a Pierced Cross (1422-27) and if you look very closely, you can see what appears to be the vestiges of an annulet right of neck.  With some imagination, and a decent loop, you can also see what could be the ghosting of the corresponding left annulet.  This would indicate an original Annulet issue, Calais mint obverse, adapted between 1430-31 to be used as a Rosette-Mascle obverse.  Due to the initial mark being Pierced Cross, the original die would need to have been sunk in 1427 or earlier.  Now mules between issues are common enough under this monarch but this coin is not that; it's not just mixing old dies up with the new, this is taking an old die and physically changing it to bring it up to date.  As already pointed out, London issued but a fraction of the Rosette-Mascle coinage that the other mints did so perhaps this was a cost-effective way of, in the end, striking and issuing not that many coins?  A most worthy of coins in terms of grade, type and not least, an insight into what they were up to back in the early 1430's!  Spink 1864.  SOLD

 

WJC-8162:  Charles 1st Hammered Silver Stuart Halfcrown.  Group III, third horseman, type 3a2 - king with flying cloak.  Tower (London) mint under the king.  Initial mark Anchor, 1638-9.  Spink 2775.  An irregular flan, typical of slightly later Civil War issues but more than full weight (unusual in itself) but less so at this period in time, it being the genesis of what was to come just 3 years later.  An indication of the groundwork for the Civil Wars is highlighted here when in 1639 and 1640, the King conducted two campaigns (known as the Bishops' Wars) to enforce his authority. He was twice defeated by a Scottish army, which then occupied northern England. Charles eventually agreed not to interfere in Scotland's religion and paid the Scots' war expenses.  This coin very good grade for issue and full weight.  Brooker had x6 in his extremely impressive and comprehensive collection but only one was better than this one and that only weighed in at 14.82 grams.  A very good coin.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Spink (their ticket)

 

WSC-8036:  James III Scottish Hammered Silver Groat.  Light issue, type 4 of 1482 - small facing bust, trefoils by shoulders with low crown of x5 points; reverse pellets and mullets in opposing angles.  Edinburgh mint with one of the more unusual mint signatures: VILLA EDENBEOVRGE.  Spink 5280A.  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.  Interestingly, R.M. Kirton points out on his ticket that the reverse fourth quarter reads, in error, ATVRM as opposed to ATVRMS.  Graded nVF on ticket which is perhaps erring on the harsh side, bearing in mind that the issue as a whole wasn't that good.  A scarce coin.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex A.D. Hamilton (1985)

ex R.M. Kirton collection

 

WCJ-7876:  Charles 1st Civil War Hammered WELSH Silver Provincial Mint Groat.  Initial mark Book, Aberystwyth (Welsh) mint, 1638/9-42.  Spink 2891.  These were troubled times in England and it would not have been advisable to be transporting silver from London to the Welsh coast, to be made into coinage, and then transport that coinage back to London.  Thomas Bushell at the Aberystwyth Mint in 1637 had the idea to use Welsh silver, ie at source, to make coinage.  The king, benefiting from a 10% share of all proceeds, also thought it a good idea.  Thus we can say with a high degree of certainty that this coin is made from Welsh silver, mined in Wales.  Excellent provenance, being ex R.A Lingford collection with his original July 1949 ticket.  SOLD

 

WTH-7881:  1567 Elizabeth 1st Milled or Machine-Pressed Silver Sixpence with Excellent Provenance.  Initial mark lis, small crude bust, Spink 2599.  Borden & Brown 37 (O1/R1) - type 7c.  Old ex mount mark obverse 12 o'clock.  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 Spink 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.  Old tickets here: Ex Baldwin August 1957 and residing in the same family until recently.  A rarer date coin.  SOLD

 

WSC-8997:  1721 Large Scottish Jacobite Medal - Prince James.  A medal actually issued for distribution to the Jacobites in 1721 by Otto Hamerani.  Medallic Illustrations (ii) 454/63, Eimer 493.  42.12 grams in weight and a rather impressive 50mm diameter.  The obverse depicts Prince James III, although bizarrely, his name is not mentioned at all.  The reverse shows the Hanovarian horse trampling upon the Lion and the Unicorn with Britannia seated,  deploring their misfortune.  The backdrop is London with fugitives carrying off their goods to that city and beyond.  The legend translates as, "What more grievous than being in captivity."  It would appear that this particular medal was to promote exertions being made secretly to raise troops and to supply arms to insurgents in Britain in  order that yet another effort might be made to replace the Stuarts upon the throne, not just of Scotland but Britain.  Apparently, the mysterious suppression of the Prince's name was supposed to increase the interest in the cause.  The Hanovarians were well settled upon the throne of the Union by this point although they were far from popular, not least because George 1st and his court only spoke German, primarily because they couldn't speak English!  The Jacobites were masters of propaganda and symbolism (they would thrive and flourish on today's Social Media!) although this particular message, subliminal or not, would appear to require a Ph.D to work it out!  A most interesting Jacobite piece and bearing in mind what you're buying - a 303 year old medal and the history around it - a relatively cheap thing.  SOLD

 

WJC-7673:  Stuart Charles 1st / Charles II English Civil War PONTEFRACT BESIEGED Hammered Silver Shilling.  Octagonal type, issued at Pontefract immediately after the execution of King Charles 1st in January 1649, so effectively under Charles II.  Technically the Stuart monarchy was abolished at his point in time so this shilling was struck under Oliver Cromwell’s emerging Commonwealth, although I’ve a feeling Cromwell would not have been entirely happy with putting his name to this issue!  The rarer “MORTEM” issue, being Spink 3151.  Pontefract Castle depicted on the reverse.  A very rare coin from one of the most interesting periods in the entirety of British history.  SOLD

 

WTH-7080:  Henry VIII Profile Right Issue Hammered Silver Groat.  First coinage, initial mark Portcullis, 1509-26.  Portrait of Henry VII, Spink 2316 being the first ever groat struck under Henry VIII.  Ex Spink.  SOLD

 

WSax-9000:  An EXCEPTIONAL Middle Saxon OFFA Hammered Silver Penny.  Substantive light coinage, c.780-92, London mint, small flan type, moneyer DUDDA, Spink 904, North 287 (misattributed on ticket), Chick 27a-c (same dies), SCBI BM 62 (same die).  This Spink reference encompasses many different reverses, this one being termed a beaded line with forked or cross ends - that goes for the obverse also.  An outstanding strike, and an even better state of preservation.  Collectors will be aware that the metal of these coins often crystallises, resulting in fractures and particularly edge damage.  This coin has none of that - it is better and more stable than any number of Edward 1st silver pennies, which are bomb-proof compared to the usual Offa pennies you see!  I have literally never seen another Offa penny as good as this in the flesh before.  Choice.  SOLD

 

WCJ-7870:  1646 Charles 1st Newark Besieged Halfcrown.  14.75g, 12h, 32-38mm.  Brooker 1222, North 2638, Spink 3140A.  Emergency coinage whilst supporters and troops of Charles 1st were besieged in Newark between 1645 and 1646.  This was 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, of which the halfcrown was the highest denomination, 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).  Old tickets here.  Pierced and skilfully plugged - this was often the case, even on apparently unpierced coins, although this was a particularly good repair.  Here's an indication as to where the actual market is at the end of 2023.  A good solid VF grade on this chunky, attractive and definitely iconic coin.  Rare thus. SOLD

 

WJC-8024:  Charles 1st Hammered Silver Full Crown with Important Provenance.  The Welsh Plumes crown.  Tower mint under the king, Gp.II, type 2b1, initial mark Plume, 1630-31, Spink 2756.  Provenance going back to 1916 when this coin was illustrated in BNJ (Silver Coins of the Tower Mint of Charles, Part One, The Crowns, pp 181-194 and plates 1-5 with plate 2, fig. 4 being this coin) by Grant R. Francis - there are still hints of the red wax to be found on this coin from that process.  John William Gaze owned this coin pre WW2 - his collection dispersed May 1935 just before his death.  Gaze was a Nottingham man who invented the ring plug to go on WW1 shells but antithetical to that was his work at the outset of the war: he designed the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' Red Cross flower, which resulted in nearly £9,000 being raised for the purpose of purchasing motor ambulances for the Army. They proved of great service in removing the wounded, and as a slight acknowledgement of his services in this direction, the Mayor of Nottingham, on behalf of the Buffaloes, presented Mr. Gaze with a gold jewel on 15 November 1917.  Not resting on his laurels, it was Mr. Gaze who originated the idea of the badge scheme, which was submitted to Winston Churchill and later adopted for all war workers.  See large image here for various details.  A very desirable coin for a variety of reasons.  SOLD

Provenance:

1916 - Grant R. Francis submitted this coin for illustration and reference in BNJ, "Silver Coins of the Tower Mint of Charles, Part One, The Crowns"

1920 (24th March) sold through Glendinings, lot 106 (£2,12,6), described at "A rare variety"

1920 (24th March) bought by John William Gaze

1935 (22nd-23rd May) sold through Glendinings, this coin not listed in their catalogue, presumed sold privately to Baldwin clients pre-sale.  See here

1985 - T. Matthews, sold to the Haddenham Collection

2023 - Spink's dispersal of the Haddenham Collection

 

WMH-8995:  Mini Purse-Loss Hoard of King STEPHEN Norman Hammered Silver Pennies.  B.M.C.i, Cross Moline or Watford type, Spink 1278.  Three coins joined together through being lost some 900 years ago, presumed as a purse-loss.  Two coins are damaged: a third of a penny and a half of a penny, that one being Exeter mint.  The full coin is +GODRI[C]:ON:ST[FO]D - Stafford mint.  All coins Spink 1278.  Exeter is a rare mint for Stephen - there are actually x14 Exeter mint coins of Stephen on the EMC database although I've only ever had one myself.  Stafford has only x4 examples on the database, all the same moneyer.  I've never had one and I don't ever recall seeing one before.  This purse-loss coin is a die duplicate of EMC/SCBI NUMBER:1300.0327, both appearing to be unusual fine-work examples.  Other images here and here.  The Stafford Stephen penny is a very rare coin individually (even Spink rate them at £1,250) but within the context of the purse-loss, and the fact that we can say that one other coin is Exeter, all the more so.  A very rare opportunity.  SOLD

 

WMH-7874:  Henry VI Medieval Hammered Silver Long Cross Penny - a MULE.  An annulet issue of 1422-30 in excellent grade, although the coin may have been cleaned at some point - I say "may" because hoard coins do sometimes come out like this.  The much more interesting thing about this coin is that it was struck with a London obverse die (Spink 1844) and a French (Calais) reverse die (Spink 1845).  Mules do happen - you can imagine any one of the mints at the time having various dies rattling about in a box so in the candlelight, a London Rosette-Mascle obv and a London Pinecone-Mascle rev (or any number of combinations) might be an easy mistake to make.  This is two different mints though, and not just that - two different mints in two different countries!  Clearly some London coins may have been made in Calais or, perhaps a more likely scenario, some Calais coins were minted in London.  Either way, it's a most unusual coin and even better, is a grade coin.  Rather predictably, my legendary photographic skills let me on the initial photograph so I've included a couple of thumbnails using a cheap camera phone.  Incidentally, in case you're wondering what right England had in minting coins from Calais, the answer is that England owned Calais from the reign of Edward III until Mary's reign in 1558; the paperwork being finalised under Elizabeth 1st in the Treaty of Troyes.  Some say it was a vanity project by the English and it probably was to a point (it certainly cost getting on for half of the GDP of England just to keep it, not to mention the loss of lives, most famously the Battle of Agincourt), but the port of Calais was really important to England in terms of transport and trade.  History, grade and a mix-up at the mint - this coin has it all!  SOLD

WJC-7987:  1643 Charles 1st Hammered Silver Late Declaration Civil War Coinage Shilling.   Civil War Oxford Declaration issue, Spink 2972.  Three Oxford plumes above the declaration.  These coins were not struck with good quality dies - there was, after all, a Civil War going on so most things were done on the hoof.  As a result of this, the dies were often shallow and although the coinage may have looked presentable when it left the mint, the longevity of said coinage was suspect in the extreme.  To be fair to the mints at the time, even the provincial ones, what did they care about how the coinage may have looked in 50+ years - I doubt they cared past the end of the week!  Toned but with a patch on the king's face not toned, indicating some surface deposit in that area that had inhibited the usual oxidation / toning. This shilling is very good grade indeed for issue   SOLD

 

WI-7283:  A++ Edward IV Medieval Irish Hammered Silver Penny.  Second reign, third “Light” cross & pellets coinage of 1473 only.  Rarer Drogheda mint.  Pellets by crown and neck would be Burns’ Dr-13 (which, according to Burns, parallels to Spink 6375, which it clearly doesn’t.  The correct Spink reference would be Spink 6374H).  HOWEVER, whilst this coin is certainly Burns’ style E and is certainly Drogheda mint (Dublin is a rounder face), this coin has an extra pellet on the neck with is completely unrecorded in both Spink and the acknowledged go-to reference for Irish coins – Irish Hammered Pennies of Edward IV to Henry VII, fifth issue, by Jasper Burns.  There can be no muling because there is no obverse die recorded with this fifth pellet.  0.52 grams and about "as struck" in grade - these Irish coins may look clipped but in actual fact were struck on approximately 50% reduced flans.  In a recent auction, a really nice Edward IV Irish penny (not an unrecorded example as this coin is) went for a four figure sum, before commission.  A rare, unrecorded coin is spectacularly high grade.  Choice.  SOLD

 

WI-7276:  Edward IV Medieval IRISH Hammered Silver Groat.  A very interesting coin, being to all intents and purposes a Second Reign, third light cross & pellets issue Dublin mint issue groat of 1473 only.  DNW, Nigel Mills, myself – we all attributed it as Spink 6366E: a later, Dublin mint issue with pellets in some spandrels and in two reverse quarters.  However, it is actually a First Reign, first cross & pellets issue of 1465 only, initial mark Pierced Cross – Spink 6306A  The weight is 31.8 grains (2.06 grams) which is low for this issue (hence the thought it was the later light issue) but saying that, similar weight Spink 6306A examples do exist.  The obverse of this coin is die linked to one sold by Spink (March 2017, Auction 17004, lot #377).  Thank you to David Collins for his expert knowledge and assessment.  SOLD

 

WJC-7977:  Charles 1st Hammered Silver Provincial York Mint Shilling.  Coinage of the Civil War, 1643-4.  Initial mark Lion, York mint, type 1 with the king in a scalloped lace collar.  Reverse square topped shield with EBOR above.  Spink 2870.  The very first type to leave the mint.  Charles mobilised for war on his own, raising his standard at Nottingham in August 1642.  During the English Civil War, York remained staunchly Royalist.  The Battle of Marston Moor finally witnessed York turning Parliamentarian in July of 1644.  A good, honest, totally problem-free coin.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex Tim Owen (one of his older tickets)

 

WJC-7976:  Charles 1st Hammered Silver Provincial Aberystwyth Mint PLUME Penny.  Initial mark Book, 1638/9-42, Aberystwyth mint.   Obv: Charles 1st with round lace collar, a single arch to his crown and colon stops in the legend; rev: a large plume with pellet stops in the legend.  Good, strong inner circles both sides.  Spink 2904, North 2346, Brooker 786A.  Sold with several old tickets - see here.  This and similar small, provincial issues are often problematic in that the dies were too ambitious for both the size of the coin and also the skill, or lack thereof, required to produce a good coin at the minting stage.  Far too often we see the king's bust but a raised lump of homogeneous silver with no detail at all bar the vague outline.  They also turn up bent - small denominations were by definition widely circulated to all parts of society but on radically new and unfamiliar designs such as this, the public were naturally suspicious.  This leading to biting and bending the coins to see if they really were silver.  The Spink plate coin for S.2903 illustrates this.  None of that here though.  An outstanding portrait of King Charles 1st with good detail, struck on a generous flan (this coin being larger than the North plate coin), and attractively toned.  Good VF for issue (Rosen collection had this as EF) thus rare.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex James Rosen collection (purchased 1992)

 

WJC-8167:  1643 Charles 1st Hammered Silver Oxford Declaration Halfcrown - CHOICE.  Obverse Oxford horseman without groundline, left; three Oxford plumes above the declaration on the reverse.  Initial mark Plume.  Spink 2954, North 2413, Brooker 883-90.  Graded good VF / about EF (Mint State 58 if you're a fan of that grading system) - better than the Spink plate coin, better than the x7 Brooker coins, even 887 and 889 - those two coins, whilst nearly as good grade (but crucially, not as good!), are underweight coins at 14.71g and 13.96g respectively.  There is no North plate coin to compare.  A very generous weight of 15.12g, indicating no clipping and no wear through circulation (there are those among us who use weight as an indication of wear more so than visual appearance - this coin would certainly pass their test).  Slabbed through NGC (it can easily be released from captivity, if required, and I do speak from recent experience) and as such, a nightmare to photograph.  Extra images here and here.  Saying that, CNG give this coin joint "TOP POP" status with just one other, meaning there are no better coins graded at this high grade of MS58 on their rather extensive database.  Excellent provenance going back earlier than 1976, the date the Westminster School eventually dispersed its collection.  With a bit of time, I'm confident the Westminster School acquisition date and perhaps even earlier provenance (because there will be some) could be ascertained.  An absolutely outstanding and choice example through grade and provenance of what was already a very desirable coin anyway.  Find better!  SOLD

Provenance

Ex Westminster School collection, dispersed through...

Sotherby's 1976 (lot 451)

 

WSC-8168:  David 1st Early Scottish Hammered Silver Cut Halfpenny.  Period D - a posthumous issue literally struck under the boy king Malcom IV's reign, 1153-65.  [Right facing bust] with angled sceptre to the right; cross fleury with a pellet in one quarter on a stalk - occasionally you get two stalks, sometimes four.  Little legend extant but it would have been blundered (meaningless) anyway.  Spink 5009.  This coin would have been cut at the mint in order to generate small change in the economy where no round halfpence existed.  David was the first Scottish king to issue coinage.  The main mints were initially in Carlisle, following the capture of Carlisle by the Scots in AD 1136 (Carlisle already had an established mint which had been operated by the English together with silver mines nearby) and Edinburgh but in the later Periods, B, C and D, mints were opened in Roxburgh, Berwick and Perth.  Under Prince Henry, who unfortunately died a year before his father, David 1st, mints also operated in Corbridge and Bamborough.  Period D coinage is likely to have been Roxburgh and Berwick.  Sold with an old Mike Vosper ticket together with an unidentified but dated ticket of January 2001.  A rare issue, being the first ever Scottish king to issue coinage, appealing to both David 1st and Malcolm IV collectors alike.  This coin has the benefit of a ticket price not being in the thousands but in the very low hundreds.  SOLD

 

WSC-7982:  James II Scottish Hammered Silver Penny.  First coinage, Billion silver issue (all James II pennies are from this issue), second issue, Edinburgh mint.  This is a rarer mule - a type Bi obverse with a clear initial mark Crown coupled with a type Biii reverse with saltires alongside the trefoil of pellets in the angles.  Spink 5251 / 5251B.  For clarification, the obverse to type Biii has initial mark Lis.  The old tickets don't reflect this muling of the dies because I assume the referencing system has only recently been updated.  The main image is appalling, even by my low standards, so here's one taken with a camera phone which clearly shows the obverse initial mark Crown - see here.  James II groats and halfgroats were designed to come into line with their English counterparts, at least that was the intention for the second coinage.  The Scottish did such a good job that the new groats did indeed look like English groats and were the same weight and had the same silver content as the English groats but unfortunately were valued at twelve pence in Scotland whereas the corresponding English groats were valued at four pence in England.  This produced serious consequences for the penny, especially as it was billion (and, in the spirit of not learning lessons, continued to be billon under James III), which ultimately had very little spending power, north or south of the border.  This is a very poor issue, as you'd expect with the billon nature of the silver content.  However, even though this is a rare denomination with very few extant examples, this coin is high grade for issue with all details / devices clear, as well as the bulk of the legends.  In a period where monarchs rarely ran the full course of their lives, James II met his maker in 1460 in one of the more unusual ways - during the siege of Roxburgh Castle, a canon next to the king accidentally blew up, terminating both cannon and king.  A very rare coin indeed with excellent provenance, the interesting muling and in high grade for issue.  SOLD

 

WMH-8157:  Henry VI Hammered Silver Medieval HOARD Groat.  First reign, Pinecone-Mascle issue of 1431 - 1432/3.  London mint.  Initial mark Cross Patonce (1427-34) on the obverse and Plain Cross (1422-60) on the reverse.  Not a mule as both sides are Pinecone-Mascle but an oddity none-the-less.  Spink 1874.  Excellent provenance and high grade.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Reigate Hoard (1990)

ex Alan Cherry (his ticket)

 

WJC-7116:  Charles 1st Provincial Aberystwyth Mint Hammered Silver Shilling.  Initial mark Book – Aberystwyth mint, 1638/9-42.  Spink 2883. The mint at Aberystwyth had its beginnings in July 1637 when Thomas Bushell had the idea of coining at the source rather than sending the mined silver for coining to London.  He petitioned that it would stimulate the Welsh mining industry with predictions of increased output if the adits to drain water from the mines reached their capacity, and suggested it could lead to other mines in England being used for coining in a similar fashion. The Mint in London was against the idea, but King Charles asked for Bushell to visit and was persuaded by his charm to back him. The agreement was to set up a mint in Aberystwyth Castle with the Crown taking a 10% share with overall supervision from the Warden of the Mint, Sir William Parkhurst. Coins were struck at 0.925 fineness with Welsh plumes at Halfcrown, Shilling, Sixpence, Half-Groat and Penny.  Ex Arthur M Fitts III collection, ex Lepczyk collection.  Sold with an auction printout as well as a collector’s cabinet ticket.  Toned, slightly double struck.  SOLD

 

WCom-8152:  1653 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfcrown.  Initial mark Sun, Spink 3215.  A contemporary counterfeit of the day from very good quality dies (this would pass as legitimate to most people then and now) and remarkably good weight, especially considering they've even built in some clipping.  One or two irregular letters, blundered or flat cross hatching on the shield - this was hard even for the official die sinkers to get right (it was one of the main reasons why 1650 didn't happen for silver coinage) and here we see that they played it safe by literally not bothering - but the most interesting and obvious indicator is that they used an inverted A for the II.VI in the mark of value.  Good provenance.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Spink (2010), sold to

ex Rev. Sanders' collection

 

WAu-7995:  Celtic Gold Full Stater.  Gallic War issue  - Ambiani - imported from Gaul or specifically, the modern day Rouen area of France, circa 60-50 BC.  A common enough Ambiani stater from the Gallic War period with the disjoined or sinuous horse, right, and a blank obverse.  Ambiani staters were very common a decade or so ago on the back of a couple of large hoards that came up.  However, all those coins are now dispersed into institutions or collections and the price has risen rather impressively, to the point where they are now more expensive than Coritani staters.  Spink 11, ABC 16 - Ancient British Coins (ABC) by Chris Rudd, the go-to reference for Celtic coins since 2010, taking over from Van Arsdell.  From an old collection - the collector does not want to be named on the internet but is willing for me to disclose his name and town to the buyer for provenance.  See here for old tickets etc.  SOLD

Found Herts, 1990's

Ex Chris Rudd (sold for £550 back in the day)

Ex Northern collection

 

WAu-7997:  Rare Celtic Tincomarus Spiral Type Quarter Stater.  Regini & Atrebates (south of the River Thames), Tincommius (now thought to be Tincomarus based on the 1996 Alton Hoard), circa 25 BC to AD 10.  Termed the Tincomarus Spiral, although it's actually a circular wreath giving the impression of a spiral.  Pellet at the centre.  The reverse depicts a horse galloping to the right with a "T" sloping to the left above the horse.  The apparent letter "C" below the horse is a rear horses leg in full gallop.  Spink 73, ABC 1094 (listed "Rare") - Ancient British Coins (ABC) by Chris Rudd, the go-to reference for Celtic coins since 2010, taking over from Van Arsdell.  From an old collection - the collector does not want to be named on the internet but is willing for me to disclose his name and town to the buyer for provenance.  See here for old tickets etc.  SOLD

Ex J.Follws collection

Ex Chris Rudd (sold for £550 back in the day)

Ex Northern collection

 

WMH-8150:  Edward IV Medieval Hammered Silver Penny - Rare LONDON Mint.  second reign, 1471-83.  Initial mark Pierced Cross (1473-7), London mint.  No marks by the bust - Spink 2110.  This is a single issue coin - the only penny type issued out of London compared to many, many varieties from the northern Episcopal mints.  Ask yourself when you last saw a second reign penny in such good grade?  Ask yourself when you last saw a second reign penny not clipped (or more likely struck on a much reduced planchet)?  Ask yourself when you last saw a second reign penny with such a clear initial mark?  But most importantly, ask yourself when you last saw a second reign penny from London?!  Sold with an old Mike Vosper ticket in which even he states "Rare".  A rare and affordable offering.  SOLD

 

WMH-8004:  Henry V Hammered Medieval Silver Penny.  Initial mark Pierced Cross, York mint, mullet & trefoil by crown - Spink 1788.  For a York mint coin, this is a remarkable, bordering on exceptional example.  I have only ever had London mint coins as good as this before.  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.   Centrally struck both sides, no clipping, strong detail throughout - the only possible minor negative is that the reverse cross is just about showing through on the obverse.  Choice thus very rare.  SOLD

 

WSax-8064:  Middle Saxon OFFA Hammered Silver Penny.  Light coinage, c.780-92, London or Canterbury mint, moneyer Osmod, Spink 904, North 264 (listed as "Extremeley Rare").  This Spink reference encompasses many different reverses, this one being described as Long Cross on Saltire Botonnee / Cross Botonnee on Annulet surrounded with Pellets.  Offa, a Christian king, was the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king before Alfred the Great. Described by some as: "... driven by a lust for power, not a vision of English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy".  A South-Eastern mint which can usually be attributed to either London OR Canterbury through moneyer, although Osmod, whilst being a recognised, all-be-it rare moneyer, was only active on this very specific issue at the start of the series as well as a single issue right at the end of the series - North 289 - and no single mint town has yet been attributed to this moneyer; hence London or Canterbury.  An iconic king, an interesting coin and extremely rare.  SOLD

 

WMH-8076:  Henry VI Second RESTORED Reign Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  hENRICV DI G[RA REX AnGL], York mint, G and much slanted key at neck, Spink 2088.  The Restoration or "Readeption" (so named because that's the actual word used in the Royal Issuants of the Restoration) of Henry VI was a short-run affair, dating from October 1470 to April 1471, so not quite seven months.  Henry had the throne taken off him by the Yorkist Edward IV (Battle of the Roses, York vs Lancaster) - he was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1465 by Edward but was restored to the throne in 1470, not by anything Henry did, but by those self-ambitious Lancastrians around him.  He was always an unsuccessful military campaigner; largely viewed as a weak, inept king, who did nothing to ease the Wars of the Roses.  He is widely believed to have favoured diplomacy rather than all-out war in the Hundred Years' War, in stark contrast to his father, Henry V, who led the famous victory at Agincourt.  His release from the Tower and restoration to the throne was brought about by an alliance between the Earl of Warwick and Queen Margaret.  However, as already stated, this Readeption was but a short hiatus in the Lancastrian's reign - following the Battle of Barnet on 14 April and the Battle of Tewkesbury, Edward entered London on 21 May 1471. Henry VI died that night, or soon afterwards, perhaps on Edward's orders, and Edward IV duly regained the throne.  A very rare penny indeed and for those collecting by monarch, very much a key coin.  Obviously you do not see many of these restoration coins due to the nature and shortness of the period but when you do, the regnal name is invariably missing (clipping or even issuing coinage short of flan was very much a phenomena of northern England mints in the latter medieval period).  Here you have the G and key devices clearly depicted but most importantly, you have a full regnal name resulting in a totally unambiguous attribution - I've seen more than a few Spink 2130 (Edward IV Episcopal York issue) pennies labelled up as Henry VI restored in my time!  A rare offering.  SOLD

 

WTH-8140:  1554 Philip & Mary Hammered Silver Facing Busts Shilling.  Full titles, a very clear date and mark of value, no initial mark - Spink 2500.  A revolutionary design at the time but then it was revolutionary to have two monarchs ruling the country side by side, especially when one was Spanish.  A very nice coin.  SOLD

 

WTH-7978:  Mary Hammered Silver Tudor Groat.  Initial mark Pomegranate, 1553-4 only.  Spink 2592.  Mary was the only child of Henry VIII (her mother was Catherine of Aragon) to survive to adulthood.  Mary quickly and efficiently disposed of Lady Jane Gray – proclaimed Queen when Mary’s younger brother Edward VI, died at age 9 – by beheading her, a process not unfamiliar to her, being the daughter of Henry VIII!!  This issue was immediately prior to Mary's marriage to Philip of Spain in July of 1554.  An often problematic issue - thinner planchets and a "shiny AR alloy" with a propensity for wear.  This coin is a superb example for issue, being much better in the hand compared to the somewhat indifferent image above.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WTH-7771:  Philip & Mary Tudor Hammered Silver Groat.  Initial mark Lis, 1554-58, Spink 2508.  A single portrait, left, of Mary but with the legend PHILIP ET MARIA indicating this coin is 1554-58, after Mary married Philip of Spain.  Interestingly, all the silver denominations of this reign higher than a groat had busts of Mary AND Philip but groats and below only had Mary's bust.  This may well be a result of lack of space on a smaller flan but bearing in mind the vast majority of the general population at the time would only ever handle these smaller denominations, the crown was perhaps missing a trick in getting out the message to the populace (and coinage was really the only way of doing this) that Philip was here.  Or perhaps this was a calculated act on behalf of the crown in an effort not to upset the Joe Public apply cart?!  A terrific example of this usually worn and problematic issue.  SOLD

 

WI-8134:  Edward IV Irish Medieval Hammered Late Silver Rose Penny.  Sun and roses / rose on cross coinage, circa 1479.  Dublin mint.  Roses & suns alternating at the crown and neck with a large rose at the centre of the reverse cross.  Spink 6390A or 6393A - nobody really understands what Spink did with the referencing of Irish coins (appendix 2), not least, I suspect, Spink themselves!  An incredibly rare issue - it's the first I've ever had or even held (I've had a couple of the groats through my hands) - and rarer still to have a clear mint reading.  Jasper Burns (Irish Hammered Pennies of Edward IV - Henry VII, fifth edition) attributes this as S-1 Dublin and interestingly, states ... only 3 specimens known to author.  If you're looking for a VF or better example, let me save you a lifetime of searching - they don't exist.  Don't miss this one.  SOLD

 

WAu-7813:  James 1st Stuart Hammered Gold Full Angel.  Second coinage, initial mark Tower: 1612-13.  Spink 2616, North 2081, Schneider –.  Pierced for use as a touch-piece.  This is an historically significant and important coin: it was literally touched by King James 1st before being presented to a sufferer of Scrofula (modern name TB).  Just to reiterate, this coin is guaranteed to have been touched by King James 1st (as well as someone presumed dying with TB!)  This happened at an official Touching Ceremony organised by the palace.  The origins of “Touching” go back to Henry II; the idea being that only God can cure this incurable disease and as the monarch had direct contact with God, the monarch touching the sufferer was the same as God touching.  The gold coin, touched by the king (and thus God himself) was to go around the neck of the sufferer and be always in contact with the skin.  Some years before James 1st, Mary took this very seriously indeed.  She literally pressed the sufferer’s open sores with her own two hands and later in the ceremony, she touched the same places with the gold coin whilst making the sign of the cross.  She then personally threaded a ribbon through the coin and placed it around the neck of the unfortunate individual.  James 1st held his first Touching Ceremony on October 1603.  It has to be said that he was extremely reluctant, partly for religious reasons (he refused point blank to make the sign of the cross) but mainly because he really couldn’t face being around “these superstitious, afflicted people”.  However, much as he was reluctant to even be there, he was even more unwilling to break with Royal tradition so the Touching Ceremonies continued.  See here for some excellent research on a Charles 1st touch-piece – a coin less frequently encountered, in my opinion, than the James 1st touch-piece.  Incidentally, I remember than coin selling for not just more than I was willing to pay but significantly more than I thought even a collector would be willing to pay!  This coin ex Peter Mitchell of Baldwin’s (old ticket in his hand).  Richly toned, good VF and very rare.  SOLD

 

WAu-8142:  Charles II Gold Touch-Piece: Guaranteed to have been personally touched by King Charles II.  John Roettier dies - type A, obverse 4, reverse 5.  An ancient practice – that of The Devine (the monarchy was seen very much as a physical, tangible extension of God) healing sufferers of Scrofula (Tuberculosis) – dating as far back as Henry II.  All subsequent monarchs took some part in the ceremony (William & Mary refused because William was not of English royal decent) although Henry VIII was the most reluctant.  Interestingly, although somewhat disinclined due to an unwillingness to mingle with the common man, it was Henry VIII who initiated the design of St George and the dragon on subsequent Touching Ceremony gold coins.  At the dawn of the Restoration, no other monarch in English history believed more in this divine right of kings than Charles II.  A such, even though it meant being in the presence of the afflicted common people (it is estimated that 1% of the entire London population suffered during this time), Charles was an enthusiastic advocate of the Touching Ceremony.  Charles II personally attended these ceremonies and physically handed the touch-piece to each and every sufferer.  Sufferers were invited and issued with an official Ticket-Pass to admit them to the ceremony.  You gave your Ticket-Pass in at the door, entered the ceremony, got touched by the king, received your gold coin from the king himself and hopefully left as a cured individual.  The Ticket-Tokens were collected and re-issued for the next Touching Ceremony, clearly the gold touch pieces were not.  Some 79,200 people were touched by Charles II between 1664 and 1684 with around 200 sufferers being admitted to each ceremony with ceremonies on Fridays from 1st November to 18th December, then during January and February and for a month in Easter.  It was suspended during the potential hot weather months to lessen the risk of spreading infection.  It was around 400 people touched per year.  During Charles’s exile under England’s Commonwealth, Charles had actually “touched” at Touching Ceremonies in the Low Countries using silver 10 shilling pieces, or whatever was available.  Charles’s first Touching Ceremony as king was just four weeks after his return and weekly from then on – he felt it was that important; not for the sufferers, but entirely for himself and his personal profile.  During that time, he again used any coinage that he had to hand, which clearly couldn’t be anything to do with Cromwell or the Commonwealth.  It took four years before John Roettier designed and struck the official gold touch-pieces.  In 1684, the size of the gold touch-pieces were reduced (the change from type A to type B).  This touch-piece is one of the earlier type A, full weight examples at 54 grains.  The value of these pieces was some 10 shillings so very few would have survived the temptation of being spent as currency and thus would be quickly melted down upon numerous currency recalls, not least upon the death of monarchs.  This one looks to have bucked that trend and actually been used for what it was intended.

The last one I saw go through Spink (or it might have been DNW or CNG) was James II and it sold for £3.5K.  Very rare indeed.  SOLD

 

WMH-8027:  A+ Edward 1st Period Penny but Henry III Posthumous Issue, struck in Henry’s name.  Struck between 1272 and 1279 so very much during the reign of Edward 1st.  It is strange that Edward 1st, who was well into his 30’s when he inherited the throne, had to wait seven years to see his “New Coinage” enter circulation.  There were three posthumous issues, non of which were a patch on the 1279 New Coinage, and were further limited to three mints only, and realistically only the Bury St Edmond’s mint as London and Durham are rare.  This coin is Class 6, IOh of Bury St Edmonds.  Crude dies although less so on this coin, it being one of the best I've seen.  Spink 1377.  According to the accompanying ticket, Churchill & Thomas stated than no Cl.6 coins were recorded in the famous 1908 Brussells' coin hoard, a fact which I think is almost certainly incorrect.  An outstanding example of this unusual and rare Edward penny.  SOLD

 

WSC-7983:  1687 James VII Scottish Silver Ten Shillings.  Single pellet either side of the date and either side of the 10 below bust.  The reverse depicting St Andrew's cross with national emblems.  Spink 5641.  A very short issue - just three years - due to James being trounced by William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.  He lived out the rest of his days in exile in France, dying in 1701.  Graded XF40 (extremely fine 40) which in reality is actually a straight VF obverse, GVF reverse.  Incidentally, this coin is the third highest graded example of this date recorded on the NGC database.  Should collectors wish to disassociate coin from slab, I'm told it is a very quick, easy and most gratifying process.  SOLD

 

WMH-8113:  CHOICE High Grade Henry VI RESTORED Medieval Hammered Silver Groat.  Initial mark Restoration Cross, London mint, Spink 2082.  A montage of images here - I always find slabbed coins difficult to photograph so please be very forgiving when viewing my efforts!  This second bite of the cherry for Henry VI only lasted from October 1470 through to April 1471 - actually just under six months - after which Edward IV resumed normal service as monarch of England again.  Henry was timid, shy, passive, well-intentioned but averse to warfare and violence and so we might postulate that he was not best pleased at inheriting the famous Hundred Year War from his father.  His pacifist nature led to England losing much of the French lands but on a personal note, it was worse.  Henry was deposed on 4 March 1461 (the untimely end to his first reign) by Richard's son, who took the throne as Edward IV. Henry was captured by Edward's forces in 1465 and imprisoned in the Tower of London.  Henry was restored to the throne in 1470, not through anything Henry did; rather an error of judgement on Edward's side, but Edward retook power in 1471, killing Henry's only son and heir-apparent, Edward of Westminster, in battle and imprisoning Henry for a second time.  Ultimately, this did not end well as Henry died (probably murdered) in the Tower April 1471.  Slabbed and graded by NGC as "About Uncirculated 53".  If you look this coin up on their extensive database, it states that this coin is "TOP POP", meaning top of the population; the best of all the Spink 2082 coins seen by NGC.  An absolutely outstanding coin and one I was highly delighted to acquire at the time.  Find better!  SOLD

 

WMH-7672:  Stephen Norman Hammered Silver Portrait Penny.  Cross Moline or B.M.C. 1 type, 1136-45.  [+--- ON] NORPIC – Norwich (East Anglian) mint town.  Tentatively die matched to moneyer Adam.  Listed on the world famous EMC database and one of the very best grade examples of all recorded Cross Moline Norwich pennies.  SOLD

 

WMH-7991:  Edward V Hammered Silver Medieval Groat.  Initial mark Halved Sun & Rose, 12th February 1483 - 20th July 1483.  Larger image here.  London mint, the EDWARD as opposed to EDWRD obverse reading and no pellet below bust.  Spink 2146A.  This coin is all about the initial mark - Halved Sun & Rose.  Under Edward IV, the type XXI Heraldic Cinquefoil initial finally came to an end on 12th February 1483.  Halved Sun & Rose immediately followed Heraldic Cinquefoil until the introduction of Boar's Head in 20th July 1483.  Edward IV died on 9th April 1483.  Edward V succeeded his father, Edward IV, aged just 13, but was never crowned - even today monarchs are not usually crowned until up to a year after their parent's death - due to his untimely death.  His brief "reign" was dominated by the influence of his uncle and Lord Protector, the Duke of Gloucester, who deposed him to reign as King Richard III; this was confirmed by the Act entitled Titulus Regius, which denounced any further claims through his father's heirs.  Edward V and his younger brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, were the Princes in the Tower who disappeared after being sent to heavily guarded royal lodgings in the Tower of London.  Responsibility for their deaths is widely attributed to Richard III, but the lack of solid evidence and conflicting contemporary accounts have in recent years moved to dispel this theory.  The respected Richard III Society obviously point to Shakespeare's influence regarding the demonisation of Richard but they also have evidence that the future Henry VII was made aware that Sir James Tyrell, a trusted servant of Richard III and Henry VII, had actually confessed to the double murder.  Of course, that might not necessarily exonerate Richard III and that aside, Sir James Tyrell was tried and executed for high treason in May of 1502 so perhaps had nothing to lose.  Tim Webb-Ware submitted a paper to the BNJ attempting to clarify this short period in history in terms of coinage.  We're not quite there yet regarding silver coinage, ie groats of Edward with initial mark Halved Sun & Rose could be either the final weeks of Edward IV or the entirety of Edward V's uncrowned reign.  There is a groat with EDWARD which is accepted as being under Richard III but this has initial mark Boar's Head over Halved Sun & Rose.  In recent months, CNG have sold an example for over £6,000 after commissions.  This example is the most recent: Noonans, Feb 2024.  £9,000+ after commissions.  This coin clearly better than the Noonan example; in fact as good or better than any I've seen.  Slightly clipped with good toning.  Extremely rare - if you're collecting by monarch, you'll need this coin!  SOLD

 

WMH-7968:  Choice Late Medieval Richard III Hammered Silver Groat.  Halved initial mark Sun & Rose 1, London mint, Spink 2154.  Halved Sun & Rose 1 initial mark lasted a grand total of 24 days from when Richard seized the crown on 26th June 1483 to the rapid introduction of the new king's favoured emblem, the Boar's Head, on 20th July 1483.  We can therefore date this coin very accurately.  Robert Brackenbury was appointed master worker at the mint at this date with John Shaa as engraver.  John Wode was still keeper of the dies at the introduction of the Boar's Head mark (he'd been there since the ninth year of Edward IV's reign) and this longevity in post may go someway to explaining the proliferation of mules that exist for this reign, indicative perhaps of the various dies being kept very loose in a box or bag.  The Boar's Head initial mark went through to about June 1484 when they felt the need to mix things up at the mint, resulting in the reintroduction of the Halved Sun & Rose, but new varieties 2 & 3, never again Sun & Rose 1.  Halved Sun & Rose 1 initial mark for Richard III was actually a direct continuation of the mark used on the Edward IV or V coinage (now generally accepted to be just Edward V).  It is interesting to note that chronologically, there is a Richard III groat in the name of Edward that was issued later than this coin, the reason being that it has a Boar's Head initial mark so must be a recycled die of Edward IV/V utilised after they'd discontinued Sun & Rose 1, after 20th July 1483.  In summary:

1. An extraordinary coin with near full legends,

2. A very short-lived and rare initial mark, as clear as you're ever likely see on one of these, being just 21 days in length,

3. Completely problem-free,

4. High grade,

5. Fresh to the market since 1985

An outstanding, choice coin.  SOLD

 

WSC-8107:  Alexander III Scottish Hammered Silver Voided Long Cross & Stars Penny.  First coinage, Sterling, circa 1250-80.  Perth mint.  Obv: +ALEXAnDER REX, bust right.  Rev: +ION ON PERTE, voided long cross with stars in angles.  Type III - Spink 5043.  A rare mint town.  Easily VF for issue, maybe a touch better, with attractive and even toning.  A veritable plethora of old tickets making for a most impressive provenance.  A very rare coin indeed by grade and mint.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex Spink (2006 - £175 ticket)

Ex James & Martha Robertson collection

Dispersed CNG 2020, bought by

E.Vandon-Fort collection

Ex Silbury Coins

 

WMH-8067:  Desirable Richard III *BOARS HEAD* Medieval Hammered Silver Groat.  Class 2b, 20th July 1483 to June 1484, London mint, initial mark Boar's Head 1 over Boar's Head 2, Spink 2156.  The Boar's Head, the favoured emblem of Richard, was introduced 20th July 1483, just a month after he took the crown.  The Boar's Head 1 over Boar's Head 2 is apparent only on the obverse; the reverse being a straight BH2.  It is interesting to note that chronologically, it is accepted that BH1 preceded BH2 (the well respected Ivan Buck, Medieval English Groats, published Greenlight Publishing in 2000, confirms this chronology) and yet we have an obverse BH1 over BH2.  The old tickets refer to Lord Stewartby (English Coins 1180-1551, published Spink, 2009): he lists only BH2 both sides for class 2b with BH1 being nearly always overstruck on SR1 for the earlier class 2a where they were clearly recycling the old class 1 dies.  Very clear regnal name (often lacking on Richard III groats thanks to the clippers as well as the offset nature of many coins) and equally clear initial marks - the Boar's Head mark is highly sought after amongst collectors.  Graded at a very good Fine, bordering in places on Very Fine.  Ex Mark Rasmusson, 2008 for £1,175, which might seem an unusually low price, even taking into consideration that it was getting on for 20 years ago now, but it should also be remembered that our understanding of the coinage was not what it is now, nor was the wider interest which blossomed upon the discovery of the body of Richard III in a Leicestershire carpark in 2012.  In summary, here we have a Richard III groat with everything clear, including the sought-after, all important Boar's Head initial mark, in very good grade, not forgetting the apparently unrecorded BH1 over BH2 anomaly.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex Spink

Ex M.Rasmusson (2008)

 

WMH-7925:  Edward IV Medieval Hammered Silver Groat.  Second reign, 1471-83.  Initial mark Heraldic Cinquefoil (1480-3), Rose on breast, London mint - Spink 2100.  A very nice grade coin which is accompanied by two old tickets, one of which is Coincraft.  SOLD

 

WTH-7891:  Elizabeth 1st Hammered Silver Groat - Rare Wire Circle First Issue.  Very first issue, 1559-60.  Initial mark Lis, bust 1F.  Wire inner circles only - Spink 2550.  This is the much rarer wire circle groat which was probably the first type to be issued under Elizabeth 1st.  Ex Chris Comber collection (his ticket), sold to him by Tim Owen (his ticket).  Please note, there is no chip at 2 o'clock on the reverse - it's just my atrocious photographic skills.  A very rare coin, elusive in all grades but especially so in this grade.  SOLD

 

WJC-8105:  1644 Charles 1st Civil War Oxford Declaration Hammered Silver Threepence.  Initial mark Lis, Rawlins' die (signed "R" below the bust), Morrison B3, Spink 2994.  Oxford declaration.  Better than Very Fine for issue with two attempted piercings, one being very minor indeed, the other looking way worse than it really is with the lighting and his resolution camera I use.  A rare coin in this grade.  SOLD

 

WSC-8108:  EF+ Grade James V Scottish Hammered Silver Stuart Groat CHOICE.  Second coinage (the first was just gold), 1526-39.  Type IIa (ii), obverse & reverse both die #5, annulet over V in SCOTORV.  Spink 5377.  This variety NOT known to Burns, which is highly impressive in itself!  Holyrood Abbey Mint.  Old tickets here.  James ascended the throne aged just one year old.  Coincidentally, upon her father's death, Mary (the future Mary Queen of Scots), James's only legitimate heir, was only seven days old when she ascended!  An extremely high grade example of one of the most attractive hammered silver coins ever to be issued, not just in Scotland but in the entire British Isles.  Find another as good, with the Kirton provenance and as rare!!  Choice almost seems to underestimate this coin!  SOLD

Provenance:

ex R.M. Kirton collection (his ticket)

ex Burmondsey Coins (£2,000 ticket)WSax-7984:  Choice, High Grade Anglo-Saxon Silver Sceatta.  Regal issue, Eadberht, 737-58.  York mint.  Obv: E◊TBERHTVΓ around a central small cross pattee, rev: Stylised quadreped (stag), left.  Chapman 48 (same dies), North 178, Spink 847.  Lightly toned and EF rather than the ascribed GVF on the accompanying ticket.  An outstanding example of this desirable and iconic Saxon silver coin.  Find better!  SOLD

 

WMH-7886:  Stephen Hammered Silver Norman Penny.  Voided cross and stars type, B.M.C. 2 or "Awbridge" type.  +ALPINE:ON[:PEVEN] - Pevensey mint.  This Stephen type was only issued in the Eastern part of England which was under Royal control.  Spink 1280, 1145-50.   For this mint, Pevensey (literally built on the site of a Roman fortification on the spot where William the Conqueror happened to land in 1066, on route to an appointment he had at Hastings), there are only four recorded examples on the EMC database - x2 damaged, x1 cut half and a coin offstruck very much like this one.  Just to be clear, there are only x8 Pevensey coins for all of the Stephen coinage (only EMC 1, 2 and 7) and there are only thirteen Pevensey mint coins recorded on EMC for every single monarch, ever.  A superb portrait but the main thing is the extreme rarity of the coin.  SOLD

 

WTH-8095:   Henry VII Tudor Hammered Silver hERIC Die Error Halfgroat.  Profile issue, initial mark Martlet, 1502-4.  York mint.  Spink 2261.  Ex Tim Owen, ex Potter, ex Lord Stewartby so solid provenance.  SOLD

 

WAu-7191:  James II Gold Touch-Piece: Guaranteed to have been personally touched by King James II.  An ancient practice – that of The Devine (the monarchy was seen very much as a physical, tangible extension of God) healing sufferers of Scrofula (Tuberculosis) – dating as far back as Henry II.  All subsequent monarchs took some part in the ceremony (William & Mary refused because William was not of English royal decent) although Henry VIII was the most reluctant.  Interestingly, although somewhat disinclined due to an unwillingness to mingle with the common man, it was Henry who initiated the design of St George and the dragon on subsequent Touching Ceremony gold coins.  Although James’s brother, King Charles II, was an enthusiastic believer in the divine right of kings, James was actually more prolific in his touching, the number of sick being brought to him being as much as 14,364 in one year.  Clearly James II had an extremely short-lived reign, and it must be noted that for the first months of touching, he actually used the left over Charles II gold pieces – some 1,905 of them.  Again, the new touch-pieces were the work of John Roettier.  It is estimated that 1% of the London population suffered during this time), so James was never short of participants.  Interestingly, his ultimately toxic religious views seemed to have mattered very little to the average man in the street who was suffering from this extremely unpleasant disease – if James II could cure him, bring it on!  James II personally attended these ceremonies and physically handed the touch-piece to each and every sufferer.  Sufferers were invited and issued with an official Ticket-Pass to admit them to the ceremony.  You gave your Ticket-Pass in at the door, entered the ceremony, got touched by the king, received your gold coin from the king himself and hopefully left as a cured individual.  The Ticket-Token were collected and re-issued for the next Touching Ceremony.  James II touched no less than 12,000 a year during his short reign.  Touching Ceremonies were scheduled weekly, although never when the weather was warm.  Under Charles II, in 1684 the size of the gold touch-pieces were reduced and this was maintained under James.  The value of these pieces was some 5 shillings so very few would have survived the temptation of being spent as currency and thus quickly melted down upon numerous currency recalls, not least upon the death of monarchs.  Very rare indeed; more so due to the shortness of King James’s reign.  SOLD

 

WTH-7947:  Henry VIII Hammered Silver Testoon.  HENRIC 8 type, Tower mint, 1544-7, initial mark Pellet in Annulet, Spink 2365.  The first shilling struck under Henry VIII, coming at the very start of the "open debasement" period.  A shocking issue, being progressively debased by 30%, followed quickly by another 30%, all within the short third period coinage.  A small purse loss of these coins was discovered melted; fused together as a result of the Great Fire of London.  Ex Arthur Fitts collection with his cabinet ticket.  SOLD

 

WTH-7602:  1554 Philip & Mary Facing Busts Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Full titles, dated 1554 – Spink 2505.  Ex Mike Vosper (his ticket), ex Colin Campbell collection (his ticket).  SOLD

 

WI-8077:  Irish King John Excessively Rare Mint Hammered Silver Round Farthing.  Third "REX" coinage, circa 1208/9 to 1211/12.  WILLEM ON L - Limerick mint. Spink 6234A (such a rare coin that they not only can't source an illustration, but they also can't supply a price, simply stating "Extremely rare" instead), Coincraft -- (I have a lot of time for Coincraft as a reference book - they list the Dublin farthing [stating "Extremely rare"], but weren't even aware of the existence of a Limerick farthing: see relevant Coincraft page here), SCBI Ulster --, DF 52.  Withers publication "Irish Small Silver" records all the coins that were known as of 2004, including some Limerick Mint Halfpennies coined by Willem (the farthing carries the same legend as the Halfpenny 1/b). However, as of 2004 only the farthing coined by Wace was known (Spink list Wace and Willem as the only moneyers working out of Limerick).  Sovereign Rarities sold a Willem of Limerick farthing five years ago now.  At the time, that was the only known example.  This coin brings the total to two.  Graded as "better than fine" on the old sale's slip which, even allowing for the slight porosity, is perhaps a little on the harsh side considering the tiny nature of the coin and the resultant massively enlarged image which shows things no human eye can possible see.  They don't come much rarer than this!  SOLD

 

WSC-7203:  1699 Scottish Silver Jacobite Medal.  Prince James Edward Francis Stuart, 1688 – 1766.  A medal designed by Roettier and distributed among Jacobite followers, predominantly outside of Scotland, to gather support for Prince James (The Old Pretender) to be crowned James III of England and Ireland and James VIII of Scotland.  MI (ii)204/519, Eimer 381.  Sold with an old (2004?) ticket together with a more recent auction information slip.  The rising sun is typical of the symbolism used by the Jacobites; it represents the sun dispersing demons – a new dawn.  SOLD

 

WJC-7960:  Rare Charles 1st CIVIL WAR DECLARATION Stuart Coin Weight.  Issued by the Tower mint, under Parliament, for checking the authenticity of all Oxford declaration half crowns.  Rawlins' dies, 2s,6d either side of a crowned R.  I wonder if some people identified the R as issued under the king (Rex), which would clearly be the last thing intended?!  Old annotated coin envelope from a long-standing collection where the collector has suggested "Finest known?", ex Jon Mann, ex Spink, where they attribute this weight as being "Very Rare".  Spink don't generally use that rarity point liberally.  I have only seen one other over several decades and that was well worn; to the point where it was actually below the 15g weight.  Withers 1060.  A rare thing (find another!) and surely an essential go-with for any collection of Charles 1st declaration coinage or indeed, any Charles 1st collection.  SOLD

 

WSC-8062:  1695 Scottish William II Silver 40 Shillings.  A large Scottish silver coin in remarkably good grade for the issue.  Spink 5679.  Ex Spink, ex Coincraft (their ticket here).  Rare in this grade - in fact rare in any grade as you just don't see them come up for sale anymore.  SOLD

 

WTH-8006:  Outstanding Henry VIII Hammered Medieval Silver Penny.  Third coinage, initial mark Lis, 1544-47.  Spink 2380.  London mint.  Of excellent weight, size and grade - the coin was lost to the ground very soon after it left the mint.  Rare thus.  SOLD

 

WMH-7901:  Richard II Hammered Silver Penny.  Cross or lis on breast, cross before CIVI TAS DVn OLM - a rare single issue from the Durham mint. Spink 1697.  Initial mark cross pattee and with good legends.  Collectors will be aware how poor Richard II pennies are (not so much the halfpennies though) but these are virtually always York pennies.  You very rarely see a Durham Richard II penny and rarer still do you find them in this grade.  Find a better example!  Much underrated in Spink, at least in my opinion.  SOLD

 

WAu-7811:  Choice Celtic Gold Stater – Cunobelin, AD 10-43.  Linear type: Running / rearing horse of good likeness facing right with CVN below; ear of corn separating CA & MV.  The unified territories of Trinovantes and Catuvellauni – present day Colchester.  A really sought-after type, being one of the most attractive and easily recognisable designs, both obverse and reverse, of all Celtic gold coins.  Incidentally, the obverse and reverse dies on this coin (G/h) are completely unrecorded so this coin is unique.  Many of you will have noticed the significance of the date of this coin: AD 43 was when the Romans arrived on our shores properly, as opposed to the “trial run” some hundred years prior.  The cessation of coinage from this tribe, in this form, was because Cunobelin died in AD 43.  It is postulated that his death was one of the main contributing factors a propos the timing of the Roman invasion under Claudius.  We’re all sometimes perhaps a little blasé about the coinage we handle - it really must not be forgotten that this little lump of just over 5 grams of gold is over 2,000 years old.  It was made and used by a people who were living and working here in England before the Romans arrived with their new, civilised ways that, let’s face it, has formed the foundation of the way we live today.  When this coin was being held in the hand by an ancient Celt, there were no roads, no under floor heating, no elaborate governmental hierarchy; just hill forts, farming, wode-painted faces and lime-hair when going into battle, etc, etc.  But then just look at the artistry in this coin – objectively, would you expect work of this sophistication, based on our understanding of pre-Roman culture?  ABC (an excellent Celtic coin reference book) 2774, Van Arsdel (a good Celtic coin reference book) 1925-5, Spink (they have some Celtic coins in there) 281.  Well centred, which is a most desirable trait, and nEF grade.  I think the weekly struck observation on the ticket is to a large part unfair and unwarranted.  A very attractive and equally desirable coin.  SOLD

 

WMH-7844:  Edward 1st Hammered Silver Rare Mint Medieval Penny.  Star on breast - class 9b, circa 1302-10.  CIVI TAS EXO NIE - the very rare Exeter mint.  Chester, Kingston-upon-Hull and Exeter are the rarest of all the Edward 1st provincial mints (Kingston-upon-Hull and Exeter also being the only Edward 1st pennies issued over a single class).  Out of the 12,236 pennies found in the Aberdeen Hoard of 1886, over 12,000 were English with only 2 being from the Chester mint (both class IIIg), a single coin from Kingston (IXb) and only two from Exeter (IXb).  To give some context, Bristol is far from common and yet there were x52 Bristol mint coins in that hoard; London was well over 5,000 coins.  The few coins you do see from these three rare mints are nearly always worn.  This is a very good example.  SOLD

 

WSax-8065:  Aethelred II Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.  B.M.C. IIa, First hand type, c.979-85.  Spink 1144.  +AEDELMAN MO HAMPI – Rarer Southampton mint.  A rather impressive provenance (see below) on this coin due to its rarity.  There are only x8 recorded examples of this type and mint on the EMC / SCBI database, x4 of which are damaged.  There is no record of this moneyer on that database.  Described on one of the old tickets as, "Excessively Rare.  Only one coin of this moneyer listed in Hildebrand."  Slightly wavy flan otherwise large flan with clear details throughout.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex Tim Owen

Ex Wells

Ex Elmore-Jones (L.743)

Ex Lord Stewartby (F1, L220)

 

WCom-5686:  1658 Oliver Cromwell Milled Silver Halfcrown.  Rare Dutch copy, late 1600’s to very early 1700’s, cast from the Simon dies.  The coin is unusual in two aspects:  Firstly, the amount of wear indicates the coin was passed into circulation.  These Dutch copies were intended to supply collectors with Cromwell coins rather than be used as currency.  Very few coins were available at this time due to the unpopularity of Cromwell after the Restoration.  It is recorded that of the small number of coins that were not recalled by the mint, many were deliberately defaced.  Interestingly, I have never seen such a defaced Cromwell coin, in the same way that I have never seen a contemporary counterfeit Henry 1st penny (BMC 6-14), although the mint at the time obviously thought it was a problem because they officially cut every coin leaving the mint to show the public the coin was silver.  Being cast after the Protectorate, the Cromwell halfcrown would not have circulated in the UK so presumably passed into European circulation, being just a lump of silver in that market place.  Secondly, and more interestingly, this coin is 11.98 grams.  It is also a smaller flan by a mm or so.  As a cast silver coin, it is difficult to understand how you could create a smaller, lighter coin from the original.  The nature of casting dictates like for like.  Double shillings or Florins were issued in this later Dutch / Tanner period.  Although they are recorded as being double thickness shillings, it is extremely interesting to note that the weight of these florins was 12g, exactly the same weight as this coin.  Further research required on this intriguing coin.  SOLD

 

WMH-7830:  CHOICE Henry IV Hammered Silver House of Lancaster Penny.  Light coinage, 1412-13 only.  London mint, Spink 1732.  +hENRIC REX AnGLIE / CIVI TAS LON DON.  Annulet (ghosting of reverse long cross has distorted this) to left of crown, very faint pellet to right.  Slipped trefoil on breast, same before LON on reverse.  An extremely rare coin for any mint and particularly for London but frankly, whatever the mint, the elephant in the room is grade and weight.  There was a severe shortage of bullion in England with prices on the Continent significantly more, thus silver coinage moved abroad by metaphorical osmosis.  What little remaining coinage there was suffered extreme wear through circulation as well as at the hands of the clippers – a practise intensified during this period by the silver crisis.  Ex Tim Owen with his ticket stating ex Reigate Hoard of 1972 with this coin being submitted too late to be included in the Spink sale.  This hoard did contain some high grade, unmolested coinage from this period but this attribution is far from concrete – Marion Archibald’s 1978 BNJ paper on the Reigate Hoard stated than no pennies of Henry IV were present.  I assume this coin was not part of that initial discovered cohort, rather a later associated find.  I have been unable to locate a coin as good as this and certainly not with the full and generous flan this one has.  Unambiguously choice and excessively rare, if not unique in this grade and weight.  SOLD

 

WSax-6969:  Edward The Confessor Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.  Late Saxon – small flan type (1048-50).  B.M.C. II.  Sandwich mint - LIFPINE.  Very rare mint town.  The obverse mark by the king’s face is a difference in height of the silver and the reverse stress mark is surface only.  This was clearly not a good blank that they used.  SOLD

 

WAu-8057:  Rare Celtic Tincomarus COMF Type Quarter Stater.  Regini & Atrebates (south of the River Thames), Tincommius (now thought to be Tincomarus based on the 1996 Alton Hoard), circa 25 BC to AD 10.  Termed the Tincomarus TINC Horse: COMF in obverse tablet, reverse depicting a galloping horse with "TIN" above and "C" below, all housed in a wreath border.  Spink 82, ABC 1085 (listed "Rare") - Ancient British Coins (ABC) by Chris Rudd, the go-to reference for Celtic coins since 2010, taking over from Van Arsdell.  An outstanding example from this sought after, attractive type, being toned, lustrous and well struck.  Choice.  See here for old tickets etc and here for the weight.  SOLD

Ex T. Matthews (sold 1985 for £350 to)

Ex Haddenham collection

Ex Spink

 

WSax-8026:  Aethelred II Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.  Helmet type, B.M.C. VIII, armoured bust left in radiate helmet; voided long cross, AD 1003-09.  Spink 1152.  +ED. PINE O LVNDNE - moneyer Eadwine working out of the London mint town.  Good provenance, being ex Steve Green collection, ex Spink.  An unusually full mint reading and an even more unusual moneyer reading.  There are only x10 Eadwine of London coins recorded on the EMC data base, which as you'll be aware is ridiculously tiny for such a main mint.  Further, of those x10 coins, not a single one has this mint reading - there are x3 with LVNDEN.  Not just rare - unique!!  A good VF coin.  SOLD

 

WMH-7774:  Henry II “Tealby” Cross & Crosslets Hammered Silver Medieval Penny.  Class F, mint and moneyer tentatively attributed to Ricard of Canterbury.  Spink 1342.  This was the final issue of this ridiculously poor type (the late Saxon coinage was superb, as was most of the Norman coinage outside of the Civil War period) as it was replaced with the voided short cross issue that we are all so familiar with today.  Following on from my comments above about the state of the “Tealby” coinage, it probably hasn’t escaped your notice that this coin is square.  I’ve seen a few square cross & crosslet pennies in my time so either the mint literally couldn’t be bothered to cut a round flan, or if it was the infamous clippers post mint, they were that confident in the public not really noticing / bothering about the shape over the dreadful state of the coinage in general that they didn’t care either!!  Clipping was a problem really up until the Restoration, and that’s even with the extremely harsh penalties in place if you got caught, but you won’t find any other square coins other than from this issue.  An interesting coin!  SOLD

 

WAu-8053:  Scottish James 1st Hammered Gold Demy of Nine Shillings.  The rarer class I (small quatrefoils in reverse arcs), Edinburgh mint, initial mark Crown, rampant lion in lozenge to the left; saltire flanked by lis at centre of sexfoil.  Spink 5190.  Striking crack.  The name "Demy" derives from the French "Half" because the Scots tried to base this coin on the English half noble; the English Half noble at the time Henry IV and specifically, the light coinage of Henry IV, so 1412 onwards.  Thus the weights were identical but the values were not: the English 3.5g gold half noble circulated at three shillings and fourpence whilst the 3.5g gold demy circulated at nine shillings.  This period in history was a time when the whole of Europe witnessed increased metal prices: as soon as a coin had been issued by the mint, its actual metal content was worth more than its set denomination.  This is evidenced most clearly by the absolute dearth of English silver coinage under Henry IV: the mint was unwilling to issue little more than a trickle of new coin but as soon as that was released into circulation, it was pounced upon, melted down and sold on for more than face value.  In Scotland, this phenomena had resulted in the gold coinage of previous reigns becoming obsolete, resulting in the introduction of the Demy to negate that, as well as to avoid confusion amongst the populace.  Interestingly, the Demy was the largest denomination thus a Scottish equivalent of the more popular English Noble was not undertaken under James 1st.  Outstanding provenance going back 120+ years.  A very rare coin indeed, especially being type 1, and a coin that several significant collectors over the previous 120 years had deemed worthy enough to add to their renowned collections.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex David Wolfson collection, dispersed by Spink

Purchased Spink 1974

ex R.C. Lockett, purchased Glendining's 1957

ex Baldwin (ticket in the hand of A.H. Baldwin)

ex T.Bearman, dispersed by Baldwin's 1922

ex Spink 1906

ex J.M. Stobart,

Purchased Christie's of London 1903

 

WAu-8054:  Scottish James 1st Hammered Gold Demy of Nine Shillings.  Class III (larger quatrefoils with pellet centres), Edinburgh mint, initial mark Crown, rampant lion in lozenge to the left; saltire flanked by lis at centre of sexfoil.  Spink 5192.  The name "Demy" derives from the French "Half" because the Scots tried to base this coin on the English half noble; the English Half noble at the time Henry IV and specifically, the light coinage of Henry IV, so 1412 onwards.  Thus the weights were identical but the values were not: the English 3.5g gold half noble circulated at three shillings and fourpence whilst the 3.5g gold demy circulated at nine shillings.  This period in history was a time when the whole of Europe witnessed increased metal prices: as soon as a coin had been issued by the mint, its actual metal content was worth more than its set denomination.  This is evidenced most clearly by the absolute dearth of English silver coinage under Henry IV: the mint was unwilling to issue little more than a trickle of new coin but as soon as that was released into circulation, it was pounced upon, melted down and sold on for more than face value.  In Scotland, this phenomena had resulted in the gold coinage of previous reigns becoming obsolete, resulting in the introduction of the Demy to negate that, as well as to avoid confusion amongst the populace.  Interestingly, the Demy was the largest denomination thus a Scottish equivalent of the more popular English Noble was not undertaken under James 1st.  There is considerable red wax residue on the reverse which was historically how impressions of coins found themselves onto publications.  This was almost certainly a submission to the BNJ - if anyone has the time (and much more importantly, the patience!) to go through the last hundred years' worth of entries, they'll not only find the coin but they'll find the sadly now lost provenance, of which there certainly must be.  An outstanding grade coin.  As collectors will be no doubt be aware, choice Scottish gold hammered coinage in the previous 18 months has been breathtaking in its hammer prices at auction and, if anything, is increasing still.  SOLD

 

WAu-8055:  Scottish James VI Hammered Gold Crown.  Type II, ninth and tenth issue, English arms in 1st and 4th quarters, 1609-25.  Spink 5468.  In Scotland at the time, this crown circulated at an eye-watering £3.  The Scottish and 2nd and 3rd coinage English crowns often confuse people with the "HENRICVS ROSAS REGNA IACOBVS" reverse legends.  This is simply an historical nod to Henry VII, together with much exaggerated self-praise to James himself, who did nothing; the translation meaning "Henry united the Roses, James the kingdoms."  It now becomes clear why the legend only started on the 2nd coinage south of the border.  Under James VI, we rarely see Scottish gold coinage after he became James 1st of England.  The English gold crowns are now four figure coins and by comparison, the Scottish are many, many times rarer.  A rare coin indeed.  SOLD

Provenance:

ex Dr Baumhauer collection

 

WJC-7338:  1643 Charles 1st Hammered Silver Declaration Shilling.  Civil War issues, Royalist Oxford.  Dated 1643.  6.17g - a quick look at data from other Oxford shillings (I recommend Brooker) will show you that it is indeed rare to find coins at 6g or over.  Even if they weren’t clipped and even if they didn’t deliberately issue slightly underweight coins, then general wear through circulation would reduce the weight by a few hundredths of a gram.  Spink 2972.  Comes with old auction slip that states, “ex Spink, toned over some deposits, dark areas.  Very Fine”.  Much above average for issue.  SOLD

 

WSax-7792:  Harold Harefoot 1st Hammered Silver Late Saxon Penny.  Voided long cross with fleur-de-lis in the angles: B.M.C. V, circa 1038-40.  Colchester mint.  Obverse diademed bust left, +HAR: OLD RE; reverse: +GODRIC ON CONC.  0.99g.  Spink 1165, North 803.  Ex Mike Vosper.  Attractively toned, small surface stress mark, VF grade.  A good eye-appeal coin.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WSC-8048:  William 1st, The Lion, Rare Early Scottish Hammered Silver Crescent & Pellet Penny - OUTSTANDING PROVANENCE.  Phase 1 Sterling, circa 1174-80.  Perth mint.  Obv: [+LE R]E[I]  WILLAOC (unusual regnal reading), bust left with wide crown.  Rev: +FOLPOLT DE [PERT], short cross pattee with crescents and pellets in angles.  Spink 5024, Burns 1, p.58:2 (obv); 4 (rev); pl. iv:30.  Phase 1 coins are much the rarer of the crescents and pellets coinage, although to be fair, they're all rare.  It is interesting to note that Spink do not acknowledge Perth as an option for Phase 1 coinage: Edinburgh and Dun are the only options they give.  William gained the title "The Lion" not through any particular act of bravery but rather through changing the dragon on the arms of Scotland with a lion.  Prior to a chance discovery of a hoard of early Scottish coins in 1780 (the Dyke Hoard), this issue was completely unheard of, which I think really brings it home as to just how rare these coins actually are.  Good VF (about as struck as it left the mint) with attractive cabinet toning together with the majority of the legends legible, something rarely seen on these early issues.  You'll struggle to find another for sale and if you do, it won't be as good as this one - probably the best portrait I've seen where you don't have to spend ages orientating the coin to "find" the bust!  A very rare and desirable coin indeed with impressive provenance going back to 1904.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex Leyland Scott collection

Ex Murdock sale of December 16th 1904

 

WSax-8045:  Edward The Confessor Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.  B.M.C. VII - Pointed Helmet type (1053 - 1056), +DVLINNOÐ ON LENC.  Spink 1179.  Chester mint with Dulinnoth an apparently unrecorded moneyer.  Edward was the son of Aethelred II and Emma of Norway so Cnut was Edward's step father; Cnut having sent Edward to live in Normandy under the tutelage of her brother during Cnut's lifetime - some 25 years.  Edward was know as "Confessor" due to his extreme piety, although the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle portrayed him not as a saint but as a strong king.  Interestingly, the perhaps biased Anglo-Saxon Chronicles aside, he was remembered through history as a devout weakling; too obsessed with the matters of the spirit to cope with the real world. This was probably because his death led directly to the Conquest and to the fact that, despite being married to one of the most beautiful women in the country, he had no children by her.  An unusual striking crack, following the king's profile, which has raised the surface by a fraction of a millimetre, and shows through on the reverse.  The image makes this feature much more obvious than it really is.  An imposing coin from a rarer mint town and an unrecorded moneyer.  SOLD

 

WSax-7987:  Aethelred II Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny - Rarer Mint.  B.M.C. IVa, voided long cross type, AD 997-1003.  +AEL FRIC MO N VNT - moneyer Aelfric working out of the Huntingdon mint town.  Good provenance, being ex Steve Green collection, ex Dr J. Hulett (acquired DNW 2017).  Rare.  SOLD

 

WSC-8051:  1582 James VI Scottish Hammered Silver Thirty Shillings.  Fourth coinage, crowned half-length bust of James VI (future James 1st of England) holding a sword; crown over royal arms dividing "I.R."  Spink 5487.  Considered one of the better designs, especially the obverse, of any Scottish or British coin but at a cost: attractive though the design was, whilst the cutting (or sinking) of the die with that design was relatively straightforward, getting the design, via the die, onto the planchet was challenging.  It was basically too large an area cut out of the obverse die, with added detailing added on top, to be transferred to the coin with only the power of a hand-held hammer.  Silver is really not that soft or malleable a metal.  Further, the incuse die design obviously becomes relief on the coin but a large area of relatively uniform relief, making it a sitting duck for fast wear.  In summary, you never see high grade examples of this denomination, not even on the fine-work or trial pieces.  The Spink plate coin is the very best known example and I don't think the next best is anything like as good.  A rare coin.  SOLD

Provenance:

Ex Fort collection (I believe only Scottish but a very comprehensive collection of Scottish coinage)

Ex CNG sale

Ex York Coins, sold 2008 for $995

 

WSax-8041:  Aethelred II Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.  B.M.C. IIIa - CRVX type (991-97), +EADMVND M`O LVN.  Spink 1148.  London mint.  The Unready, or more accurately, the Unrede, deriving from the fact that Aethelred had very little council that he could rely upon from his government - he inherited the thrown upon the murder of his half-brother and was considered a weak leader virtually from the outset.  This was the period where vast (and I do literally mean vast) quantities of silver coinage were paid to Viking raiders in attempt to stop them.  Danegeld was the tax levied upon the populace in order to raise the "tribute" payments.  Large hoards have been found in Scandinavia where the payments were taken home and deposited in the Bank-of-Mother-Earth.  A very nice grade coin indeed.  SOLD

 

WMH-7494:  Henry IV Hammered Silver Long Cross Plantagenet Penny.  Light Coinage, 1412 – 1413 only.  Struck under Archbishop Bower at the York.  “Light” coinage for a reason – the authorities were so short of silver that they simply issued new coinage using less silver, something Henry VIII was very much in favour of 130 years down the road.  Although silver was in seriously short supply in England during the reign of Henry IV (and during Richard II & Henry V), in Easter of 1412 silver experienced a further dramatic increase in price.  Old coinage in circulation (Henry IV heavy issues and older) was clipped to within an inch of its life by enterprising individuals who risked much in undertaking that lucrative practise but interestingly, although an order was issued to the public to hand in their old coinage for re-minting in November 1411, (they would be given the new coinage in exchange), hardly any was forthcoming because the new coinage was reduced in weight to the point where it was often the same weight as the clipped old coinage.  This meant that getting old silver coinage into the melting pot in order to make new coinage (buying in silver bullion being the other avenue) also didn’t work, the end result being hardly any new coinage being issued.  Henry IV Light Coinage is an extremely rare issue indeed.  This coin: exceptionally clear annulet below bust, regnal name discernable, reverse quatrefoil.  Spink 1734.  Ex Baldwins – auction slip and coin envelope.  SOLD

 

WJC-8039:   Mary Tudor Silver De Passe Medal or Counter.  Machine-pressed circa 1630.  Issued as part of a set of British monarchs from late Saxon through to Charles 1st.  Fine cast by Simon Van de Passe (died in 1647) to give the impression of engraving.  Examples of sets being sold at auction:  1) Christies South Kensington, 23.3.09, lot 166, sold for £5000, box + 26 counters, 2) Toovey's, 29.11.17, lot 410, sold for £7505 inc. premium, box + 32 counters.  The counters, in chronolgical order, are as follows Edward the Confessor (1042-1066), Harold (1066), William I (1066-1087), William II (1087-1100), Henry I (1100-1135), Stephen (1135-1154), Henry II (1154-1189), Richard I (1189-1199), John (1199-1216), Henry III (1216-1272), Edward I (1272-1307), Edward II (1307-1327), Edward III (1327-1377), Richard II (1377-1399), Henry IV (1399-1413), Henry V (1413-1422), (Henry VI counter missing), Edward IV (1461-1483), Edward V (1483-1483), Richard III (1483-1485), Henry VII (1485-1509), Henry VIII (1509-1547), Edward VI (1547-1553), Mary I (1553-1558), Elizabeth I (1558-1603), James I (1603-1625) and Charles I (1625-1649).  The remaining counters are: Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of James I (died in 1612). Elizabeth, Princess of the Palatine of the Rhine, Grandaughter of James I and eldest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine. Frederick V, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, 1619-1620. Charles Louis, 2nd son of Frederick V. Philip II of Spain, husband to Queen Mary I. James, Duke of York, 2nd son of Charles I, was styled Duke of York from birth in 1633 and became James II in 1685. Charles, Prince, probably commemorating the birth of Charles I. The token reads "20th May 1630" but modern records say 29th May 1630. The discrepancy is probably due to whether the Julian or Gregorian calendar was used. Anne, wife of James I and generally known as Anne of Denmark.  This coin would definitely be Mary Tudor as opposed to Queen Mary I; Mary Tudor was the younger surviving daughter of Henry VII. She married King Louis XII of France and was sister to Henry VIII.  Tudor de Passe examples are eagerly sought after and this is one of the more difficult monarchs to source.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WMH-7967:  Very Late Medieval Richard III Hammered Silver Long Cross Penny.  An Episcopal coin struck under Bishop Sherwood of Durham: S on the king's breast, D in the reverse centre.  Spink 2169.  The coin may at first glance appear to be clipped - RICAR[D] is discernable from the lower portions of the lettering only - but it actually isn't.  Lord Stewartby (English Coins 1180 – 1551 by Spink, 2009) states: “The flow of ill-struck and often illegible pence from the northern Episcopal mints continued unabated.  (Archbishop) Thomas Rotherham of York was literally arrested by Richard III in June 1483, but was soon released.”  The lower ranked Bishop Sherwood, just 70 miles north up the A1 in Durham, was doing very similar things to that of Thomas Rotherham.  The production of short flan, underweight coins (ie face value one penny but actual silver content some way below that) would obviously be financially lucrative for the person or persons doing it; not so for the king or the country.  These powerful clergymen would appear to have gotten away with just that as the practice continued throughout Richard’s very short reign.  A decent portrait of the rather unsavoury Richard III, whose body was recently discovered in a Leicestershire car park.  Rare.  SOLD

 

WJC-7400:  1644 Charles 1st Hammered Silver Bristol Declaration Half Crown.  Initial mark Plume with Shrewsbury plume behind the king on horseback.  No ground line.  Bristol.  Spink 3007.  See old tickets here: ex Osborne (1951), ex Alan Morris, ex Lloyd Bennet (2012 - £550).  Much above average for issue and with a good, long provenance.  SOLD

 

WTH-7954:  Henry VIII with Anne Boleyn Hammered Silver Irish Groat.  Issued in commemoration of Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, the second and probably most famous of his six wives.  Spink 6474.  The rarer First (1st) Harp Issue, 1534-40 and the second rarest of the three wives mentioned on silver coinage (the Jane Seymour issue, although scarce, is seen more often that either the Anne or Katherine issues).  Dated to 1534-5, in commemoration of a marriage that lasted three years, produced the future Queen Elizabeth 1st but ultimately ended in Anne losing her head, quite literally, because she could not produce a male heir.  This issue is at 0.842 silver fineness with later issues going the same way as that of the English silver coinage under Henry, ie downhill.  A rare coin and in exceptional grade for issue.  SOLD

 

WMH-7127:  William 1st Norman Hammered Silver Rarer Mint Penny.  + ÆLFPINE ON PILT – rarer Wilton mint town.  B.M.C. VIII – PAXS type, 1083-86, Spink 1257.  This is the final issue under William 1st with some current debate as to whether this issue overlaps into the reign of William II.  Only two different moneyers recorded under Wilton for the PAXS type with Aefwine being rarer than the other - Saewine.  SOLD

 

WTH-7678:  A Hoard of x12 Hammered Silver Tudor Elizabeth 1st Sixpences.  See larger images here and here.  An exciting opportunity to acquire not just part of the famous Ewerby (Lincolnshire) Hoard, but part of English Civil War history and even better, part of one of the largest English Civil War hoards ever to be found in England!  Autumn 2016 witnessed a metal detectorist, searching a field near the village of Ewerby in Lincolnshire, unearth just over 1,200 hammered silver coins ranging from Charles 1st, James 1st, Elizabeth 1st and all the way back to Henry VIII.  There were even some Charles 1st Scottish coins in the hoard.  The find was immediately reported to the local Portable Antiquities Scheme Officer who duly notified the finder that he had uncovered an important Civil War Hoard which would be classed as ‘Treasure’ under the Treasure Act 1996. The coins were catalogued, photographed and then offered to museums. Lincoln museum purchased 300 for their collection and the remainder were disclaimed and returned to the finder and landowner. The full Portable Antiquities Scheme report can be viewed here: Record ID: LIN-F454C4 – POST MEDIEVAL coin hoard (finds.org.uk).  See image here of the actual full hoard in 2016.  Subsequent research tells us that the hoard was deposited into the rural Lincolnshire ground, inside a large earthenware jug, in 1643, during the early months of the English Civil War or Great Rebellion - technically a series of wars of ranging from 1642 – 1651.  Ewerby was a Royalist stronghold in 1643.  Was this hoard the result of a wealthy resident hiding away his silver so that it could not be “donated” to the cause?  Was it the personal wealth of a soldier?  There were no banks as such at this time and so this kind of secretion into the earth before going into battle was a common practise.  Further, Ewerby would have been very much in the heart of the conflict, lying as it does between Sleaford and Grantham.  This part-hoard is sold with an excellent information booklet – image here reproduced with kind permission of Silbury Coins.  Of the coins themselves, they were all getting on for 70 years when they went into the ground.  As you can see from the image of the hoard, the sixpences offered here represent above average grade overall.  Coinage back then was very much the silver content only; the state of the coin or even what was on it was basically irrelevant so the unlucky owner back then was not interested in grade.  Interestingly though, even though the hoard was deposited under Charles 1st, the hoard itself was made up predominantly of Elizabeth 1st coinage and further, mid-reign Elizabeth 1st coinage, although clearly it wasn’t going to be end-reign coinage as those dates were rare even then.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity!   SOLD

 

WSax-7988:  Harold II Very Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny - Better Mint.  B.M.C. I, PAXS (peace) type, 5th January 1066 – 14th October 1066 only with the end of the reign coming on the battlefield at the famous Battle of Hastings.  Obverse crowned bust, left, sceptre before, +HAROLD REX AN; reverse PAX in a central tablet, +AELFGEAT ON LINCOL – moneyer Wulfgeat struck at the Lincoln mint.  An extremely healthy 1.33g with 10h die rotation.  Hild type A, Spink 1186, North 836.  The 14th October 1066, witnessed the fall of the Saxon period and the dawn of the Norman period in England.  Although created by the victors, the Bayous Tapestry is said to be somewhat representative of the battle: commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror's half-brother, the Tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy, including the famous arrow (spoiler alert: there was no arrow in the eye until the nineteenth century restorers put it there and further, the recipient of said nineteenth century arrow wasn’t even Harold Godwinson).  Lincoln is a rarer Saxon mint, situated up on the left of Steep Hill and, I believe, the building is still there, or at least remnants of it?  In terms of the obverse legend ending, the much abbreviated ANGLO, represented on this die by simply "AN", is very rare.  The famous Braintree Hoard of late Anglo-Saxon pennies was 122 in total.  Of those, most were the unabbreviated version - ANGLO.  Of that hoard, only x8 terminated in "AN": x3 London mint (many more London mints were the usual longer reading), x3 Maldon mint (there were only x3 Maldon mint coins in the hoard), a single Stamford and a single Wilton mint.  Again, Stamford and Wilton were represented by more coins but these all had the longer version.  Crucially, the two Lincoln pennies in that hoard were both ANGL.  Toned VF - a very handsome and imposing coin.  Finally, there were x3 Maldon mint coins in the Braintree Hoard and only x2 Lincoln.  Maldon is so rare a mint as to have zero examples so far recorded on the EMC database!  This coin toned and VF.  A very handsome, imposing, rare and desirable coin.  SOLD

 

WAu-8001:  Rare Celtic Eppillus PEGASUS Type Quarter Stater.  Regini & Atrebates (south of the River Thames), Eppillus, circa 20 BC to 1 AD.  Termed the Eppillus Pegasus gold quarter stater: EPPIL COM F in two lines / Pegasus right with pellet in ring below.  Eppillus was known as "Little Horse" and was the second of three rulers who claimed to be a son of Commios.  Commios "removed" his elder brother, Tincomarus, out of the Atrebates half of the Commian kingdom and proclaimed himself "King of Calleva".  Spink 98, ABC 1154 (listed "Very Rare") - Ancient British Coins (ABC) by Chris Rudd, the go-to reference for Celtic coins since 2010, taking over from Van Arsdell.  An excellent example from this sought after, attractive type, being toned and well centred.  See here for old tickets etc and here for the weight.  SOLD

Ex T. Matthews (sold 1985 for £260 to)

Ex Haddenham collection

Ex Spink

 

WSC-7953:  Mary Queen of Scots CHOICE Grade Hammered Billon Silver Bawbee.  First period sixpence, before marriage, 1542-58.  Edinburgh mint.  Solid saltire cross through the crown, Spink 5432.  This was issued at 3/4 alloy, which accounts for the grim and / or problematic nature of most examples that turn up.  This is an exceptionally nice example being choice for issue.  SOLD

 

WI-7989:  Extremely Rare Edward IV Irish "Radiant Star" Issue Hammered Silver Penny.  First reign, second coinage, 1462-3.  Dublin mint.  Obverse: distinctive cross pattee surrounded by a large rose; reverse: radiant sun with pellet in large annulet at centre.  [EDW D.G. DNS] hYBERN / [CIVI T]AS DVB L[INIE].  Very few of these early crown or radiant sun issues ever turn up as the mintage was miniscule.  The uncertainties due to the ongoing War of the Roses initially led to the Irish issues being somewhat reluctant to give full regnal names and / or regnal portraits, or indeed to issue much coinage at all.  They strove to make these early issues as indistinguishable from the English coinage as possible.  This Radiant Sun issue would appear to have been issued immediately after the Battle of Towton in 1461, when the identity of the king could be stated in safety - indeed, the Radiant Sun was Edward's heraldic device so it's clear to see which way the Irish were going.  Spink 6290 and 6289 in a revised edition.  High grade for issue - VF - with just a small chip due to the brittle nature of these coins.  Excessively rare - literally the first example I've ever handled.  SOLD

 

WJC-7477:  HIGH GRADE and CHOICE 1692 William & Mary Scottish Copper Bawbee.  Circulated at a sixpence.  En medaille die rotation.  Dublin.  An act of Privy Council in August 1691 authorised a small issue of copper coins (Bawbees and Bodles combined), being up to 500 stones in weight or less per year, but never to be exceeded.  This act carried on when Mary died into the reign of William II, but effectively, these were the last Scottish copper coins to date. Initial mark Cross of Five Pellets, or Rosette, (many people don’t even realise these things have initial marks as the grade seen dictates there is usually nothing to be seen!), Spink 5667.  Collectors will be aware that you hardly ever come across Bawbees (of any reign) in VF – they were from soft metal and simply did not survive the rigours of circulation.  Further, the obverse dies of William & Mary bawbees specifically were simply not up to the job as there was too much design to engrave with the conjoined busts to give a good result.  The trick with these things is to look at the reverse of any coins in order to gauge the grade as often, as in this case, the obverse side would have left the mint fairly close to how it looks in this coin, ie not a patch on the reverse.  This coin is EF for issue – Spink don’t think any coins in this grade exist for this year, as evidenced in Spink 2020.  One or two bawbees of this grade, possibly not quite as good as this one in particular, recently came up in Heritage Auctions where they all achieved four figure prices.  I don’t expect to ever have Bawbees of this quality ever again – they are that rare.  SOLD

 

WSC-7990:  1558 Mary Queen of Scots Hammered Silver Testoon of Four Shillings.  First period before marriage, 1542-58.  Type IIIb with the low-arched crown and the slightly rarer annulets below the M and the R variety.  Initial mark Crown.  Spink 5407.  Muling of the dates on these was known to happen but then the mixing of obverse and reverse dies has always been a thing as they were thought to have been kept loose in a box.  The unusual double-date nature of this coin means you couldn't really get away with it so easily.  This coin is dated 1558 remarkably clearly on both sides as even on good grade Testoons, the dates are often bordering on indiscernible.  Scottish coinage in general was a product of miniscule mintage figures compared to south of the border, and yet pricing seems almost equivalent?  Now clearly English coinage is collected to a much greater extent than Scottish but even so, why is Scottish coinage so undervalued in today’s market compared to its undeniable rarity?  I have the mintage figures of the milled five shillings to hand:

 

23rd Oct to 23rd Dec 1692 = 2,692 coins

5th Jan to 5th Dec 1694 = 3,496 coins

3rd Jan to 10th May 1698 = 32,857 coins

 

Clearly the above data shows later coins (but if anything, mintages on later Scottish coinage increased, not decreased) and as a side point, that the dates on the coins were not always contemporaneous.  Tiny mintages though, and don’t forget currency recalls where coinage would be taken in to go into the melting pot upon the death of every old monarch to release silver and gold for new monarch's coinage.  There was also a large recall of coinage in 1707 as a result of the Act of Union: £142,180 face value of hammered Scottish coinage and £96,856 face value of milled Scottish coinage was brought into the Edinburgh mint to be melted down and recoined.  Interestingly, £132,080 face value of foreign (non English, Irish or Scottish) was also handed in, highlighting just how bereft of physical coinage Scotland was at this time, and thus how rare Scottish coinage is today.  Toned.  Sold with an old Rasmusson ticket, possibly 2020, and a much earlier Spink ticket with a ticket price of £575.  A very desirable coin.  SOLD

 

WAu-7992:  Edward VI Hammered Gold Stuart Half Sovereign.  Tower (London) mint, third period, initial mark Tun, 1551-53.  Larger image here and coin-in-the-hand image here.  The third period coinage is generally accepted as being the most attractive issue, even trumping the first period sovereigns.  Half figure of the king, half right, holding sword and orb; crowned royal shield, ER flanking.  Spink 2451, North 1928, Schneider 696 var.  VF or better, no clipping, no mount marks, no repairs - a problem free, high grade example of a coin that is rarely offered for sale.  SOLD

 

WSax-7986:  Aethelred II Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny - Rare Mint.  B.M.C. IVa, voided long cross type, AD 997-1003.  +VLE GET MO L IHFR - moneyer Wulfgeat working out of the Leicester mint town.  A rare mint and an even rarer moneyer with only a single example of Wulfgeat being recorded for Aethelred II B.M.C. IVa on the excellent EMC database.  Good provenance, being ex Steve Green collection, ex A.William collection (acquired CNG 2020), ex Spink (2014), ex Baldwin's (2007).  Rare.  SOLD

 

WMH-7863:  Henry 1st Hammered Silver Norman Penny.  B.M.C. I, the Autumn of 1100 only: +GDPINE ON PIILI – Godwine of Wallingford.  Spink 1263.  Only one other example recorded on the EMC and SCBI database.  Found Prestonfield (Hampshire) 2005, sold DNW September 2005 into a private collection until now.  Sold with old tickets.  The very first issue under Henry 1st and very much predating the mint's need to officially test cut coins (this practise commenced 1105).  An exceptionally rare coin.  SOLD

 

WSC-7493:  1601 James VI Scottish Hammered Silver PORTRAIT Thirty Pence.  Seventh coinage, Edinburgh mint.  Spink 5495.  A rarer denomination but more, an excessively rare date – the rarest by some margin in the seven year run.  Spink rate this date at £675 and as collectors will be all too aware, Spink are famous for under-pricing.  A very rare coin indeed being better than the Spink plate coin.  SOLD

 

WSC-7743:  1569 James VI Scottish Hammered Silver Two Thirds Ryal.  First coinage, dated 1569 (joint rarest date with 1570), Spink 5474.  Known as the “Two Thirds Sword Dollar” and circulated at 20 shillings.  However, less than a decade on from when this coin left the mint, specifically in 1578, the price of silver bullion had increased to such a point that the metal content of this coin was literally higher than its face value.  Thus it became necessary to revalue the coin from 20 shillings to 24 shillings and 6 pence.  This was done to all silver coinage that was in circulation at the time, including issues from the earlier reign of Mary.  A counterstamp of a crown over thistle was used to denote the new, higher value of the coin.  The coin itself has witnessed some circulation in the 9 years up until its revaluation but the counterstamp itself is fresh and the resultant convex area on the obverse, although visible, isn’t that pronounced which implies the coin didn’t see that much circulation post revaluation.  Good provenance, inc Spink – see tickets.  A rare date coin with a most interesting story behind it.  SOLD

 

WSC-7803:  1558 Mary Queen of Scots Hammered Silver Testoon or Four Shillings.  First period before marriage, 1542-58.  Type IIIb with the low-arched crown and no annulets below the M and the R, initial mark Crown.  Spink 5406.  Interestingly, of the tiny handful of Mary Testoons that I’ve had over more years than I care to acknowledge, I think I’m correct in saying that this one is the first without a muling of the dates?!  Scottish coinage in general was a product of miniscule mintage figures compared to south of the border, and yet pricing seems almost equivalent?  Now clearly English coinage is collected to a much greater extent than Scottish but even so, why is Scottish coinage so undervalued in today’s market compared to its undeniable rarity?  I have the mintage figures of the milled five shillings to hand:

 

23rd Oct to 23rd Dec 1692 = 2,692 coins

5th Jan to 5th Dec 1694 = 3,496 coins

3rd Jan to 10th May 1698 = 32,857 coins

 

Clearly the above data shows that the dates on the coins were not always contemporaneous.  Tiny mintages though, and don’t forget currency recalls where coinage would be taken in to go into the melting pot upon the death of every old monarch to release silver for new monarch coinage.  There was also a large recall of coinage in 1707 as a result of the Act of Union: £142,180 face value of hammered Scottish coinage and £96,856 face value of milled Scottish coinage was brought into the Edinburgh mint to be melted down and recoined.  Interestingly, £132,080 face value of foreign (non English, Irish or Scottish) was handed in, highlighting just how bereft of physical coinage Scotland was at this time, and thus hare rare Scottish coinage is today.  Some toning and abt VF as stated on the ticket.  A very desirable coin.  SOLD

 

WI-7973:  Richard III Very Late Irish Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  Second Richard III coinage (the first being Sun & Roses), Dublin mint, circa 1483-5 only.  Portrait of the king with thick upper lip (a characteristic on all Irish obverse dies of Richard III), annulets either side of the neck, reverse central quatrefoil.  Spink 6410, Burns Du-17(R).  These coins were not heavily clipped, rather they were full size dies struck on exceedingly short flans.  A very rare coin indeed, rendered all the more so by the full regnal name reading, something we will likely never see again on an example of this issue.  SOLD

 

WSC-7934:  John Baliol Scottish Medieval Hammered Silver HALF Penny.  Second coinage - "smooth" surface issue.  Spink 5074.  Most likely Berwick mint.  A particularly hard denomination to source and when they do turn up, they're rarely any better than this example.  John Baliol was “chosen” out of thirteen competitors for the Scottish throne upon the death of Alexander III.  The English king, Edward I, was the arbitrator.  John Baliol’s four year reign ended in 1296 with his abdication when Berwick, Edinburgh, Perth, Roxburgh and Stirling all fell to the English.  He was succeeded by Robert Bruce.  SOLD

 

WMH-7938:  Henry IV Medieval Hammered Silver Halfpenny.  The House of Lancaster.  Heavy (first) issue, 1399-1412.  London mint, this being the only mint issuing Heavy Issue fractions.  Now this is an incredibly interesting and rare coin.  The Heavy Coinage for halfpence consists of x4 types.  The first three, not surprisingly termed Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3, are all from dies derived from Types 3, 4 and 5 of Richard II.  This is evident from the face and crown punches, not the legends.  So basically, we're talking the recycling of old Richard II punches to make new Henry IV dies.  What we have here though, in this Type II Henry IV coin, is not Richard's face and crown punches being re-used, but actually a Richard II recycled full obverse Type 4 die, altered from RICARD REX AnGL to read hENRIC REX ANG, evidenced from the image here which shows clearly the R of RICARD clearly altered to an h for hENRIC!  I am not aware of this being noticed or recorded previously, which is perhaps unsurprising when you consider the extreme sparseness of the Heavy Coinage halfpenny population, coupled with the ubiquitous irregular flans which often omit illustrative legends.  I refer readers to The Galata Guide to Small Change by the couple, Withers - a seminal numismatic publication if ever there was one.  Even in that research, this recycling of full dies as opposed to just punches is not touched upon.  The Spink referencing (S.1723-4) has become virtually useless in light of recent research, as it has with the James 1st sixpences and countless other issues.  As I stated at the start: an incredibly interesting and rare coin!  SOLD

 

WSC-7972:  Scottish Mary Hammered Silver Stuart HALF Testoon.  First period before marriage, 1542-58.  Dated 1558.  Type IIIa the variety without the annulets below M & R.  Spink 5413.  The Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles (#35 – Scottish coins in the Ashmolean & Hunterian Museums) lists only one example of this type in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow with none in the Ashmolean Museum.  The syllogy only lists two examples across the entire range, the other being a 1555 type II.  The National Museum in Edinburgh contains one single example with the caveat, "Hairline inner circles", which this coin also exhibits.  An incredibly rare denomination to source, being much, much harder than the full testoons, and they're hard enough to get hold of these days!  SOLD

 

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.  SOLD

 

WMH-7918:  Richard III Late Medieval Hammered Silver Groat.  Initial mark Boar's Head, London mint, type 2, Spink 2156.  The all important regnal name is very clear, as is the rarer and much more desirable initial mark Boar's Head - the personal device or badge of Richard III.  Ex Spink although the coin envelope looks to predate the tickets, perhaps indicating Spink had this on two separate occasions?  A full weight coin.  Grades to abt VF.  The famous "King in the Carpark!"  Whist Richard was no saint (I think some poor decisions and a ruthless streak that they all had at that time was about as bad as it got), he probably wasn't a ‘child killer’, ‘murderer’, or ‘usurper’, at least no ore than any other medieval monarch.  Don't believe all that Shakespeare tells you!!  Rare.  SOLD

 

WAu-7940:  Henry VII Hammered Tudor Gold Angel.  Type IV, rarer Greyhound Head initial mark (1502-4), Spink 2185.  This is the first Greyhound Head angel I have had.  Very much the new dies type - angel with both feet on the dragon as opposed to the old type with just one foot.  A nice, presentable rarer initial mark hammered gold angel, ex mount, for well under £2,000 (possibly even cheaper if you take up the Coin News advert challenge?!)  Good look in finding any other Angel, for any monarch, for sale at under £2K these days.  SOLD

 

WSC-7620:  1622 James 1st Scottish Hammered Silver Six Shillings - Choice.  Tenth coinage, type II, Edinburgh mint.  Initial mark Thistle, Spink 5508.  An interesting issue in that it’s very easy to mistake this for the English sixpence (indeed, bizarrely, the 1622 English 6d also has initial mark Thistle, which is the usual way people differentiate) but if you look closely at the reverse shield, you’ll note the Scottish arms at are in the 1st and 4th quarters.  I’m not sure this has ever been illustrated before but here’s a comparison of the reverse shields on James 1st English sixpences and Scottish James VI six shillings.  One point of caution: the 1605, 1606 and 1609/7 Scottish six shillings have the English coat of arms so the initial mark is all you have to differentiate between the two!  Burns 163 (fig. 986), SCBI 35 (Scottish) 1379, Spink 5508 (this coin illustrated as the Spink plate coin in the 2n edition).  The very last Scottish six shillings date, made all the more interesting when you consider that there were no issues in 1620 and 1621.  Outstanding provenance: ex Carlyon-Britton, ex Glendining’s (1957), ex R.C. Locket, ex Spnk (1987), ex J.K.R. Murray, ex Spink (2006), ex LaRiviere, ex Davvison’s (2009), ex Chris Comber.  All tickets shown here.   The Collection of the National Museum of Scotland listed in Sylloge 70 only has the following dates in their collection: 1610, 1612, 1613 1615, 1617, 1618, 1619, 1622 and an unlisted date of 1624, which gives you an idea as to the extreme rarity of ALL Scottish six shillings.  Further, none of the museum coins come close to the grade of this piece and are mostly worn with only the 1619 piece being better than the others and closer in grade to this coin.  There is currently a 1615 Scottish six shillings for sale elsewhere, in a very similar grade to this coin but most importantly, WITHOUT any of the impressive provenance of this coin, at £4,500.  This is such an impressive coin in both rarity, grade and provenance.  Choice.  SOLD

 

WSC-7724:  Robert 1st THE BRUCE Scottish Hammered Silver FARTHING.  Another image here using a completely different camera, a different background and a less invasive light source.  1306-29.  Minted at either Edinburgh (this mint was recaptured by the Scots in 1313) or Berwick (this unassuming English / Scottish coastal town changed hands no fewer than 14 times in the two centuries leading up to 1482). Crowned head left, sceptre before, beaded circles and legend surrounding, +ROBERTVS DEI GRA, rev. long cross pattee, pierced mullet of five points in each quarter, beaded circles +SCO TOR VM REX, weight 0.35g, Spink 5078.  Interestingly, the farthing is virtually identical to the penny, bar the obvious size differential, whilst the middle denomination, the halfpenny, is quite different on the reverse.  Robert Bruce was a direct descendant of David 1st.   Robert was crowned in 1306, on the back of ten turbulent years with various armies moving backwards and forwards over Scotland.  In 1318, Bruce’s reign saw the gradual repossession of the kingdom, partly from the English and partly from Scottish rivals.  It is likely that no coinage was struck for Robert Bruce until 1320.  I have a lot of time for Coincraft’s informative and sometimes insightful comments (less so their pricing although to be fair, it’s an old publication) and they have not let the collector down on this coin – see what they say here.  There was a wonderful piece of research done on Robert 1st coinage undertaken by Nick Holmes and Lord Stewartby.  They recorded only twelve farthings of Robert the Bruce in their die study of the coinage in 2000, of which nine were in museum collections.  The full research is to be found in BNJ 70, pp. 45–60. An excessively rare denomination from this highly sought-after Scottish monarch; one who gave the English a seriously bloody nose at the Battle of Bannockburn, placing him in an extremely select group of Scottish leaders.  SOLD

 

WMH-7853:  Edward IV Hammered Silver Medieval Long Cross Penny.  Second reign, House of York, York mint.  Initial mark a Rose; T and slanting Key by the neck; a Star on the chest - an Archbishop Rotherham Episcopal issue, 1480-83, Spink 2135.  A rarer type in very nice grade but what elevates this coin are the four extremely clear obverse devices.  Edward IV coinage is usually atrocious, either being heavily clipped or, which is actually more often than not the case, simply struck on inadequate, small planchets or flans, seemingly in order to defraud the country in favour of the church, or in this case, Archbishop Rotherham.  If you read Lord Stewartby's excellent reference work, ENGLISH COINS 1180-1551, he states, "The flow of ill-struck and often illegible pence from the northern Episcopal mints continued unabated."  Lord Stewartby goes on to describe a fully recorded episode where one northern archbishop was actually charged with this heinous act - that person was none other than Archbishop Thomas Rotherham of York himself!  The arrest came in 1483 just as Richard III took control of the crown (the royal chronology was Edward IV’s very young son, Edward V, was locked away in the Tower under torture and subsequently a horrible death, although never proven, under the hands of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Edward IV’s younger brother - the future Richard III.  King Richard didn’t last that long, whatever your feelings are on that are, as a result of Henry seizing the crown upon the battlefield of Bosworth, effectively ending the medieval period and heralding the start of the Tudors).  Richard III was clearly more proactive than his predecessor and so, seeing that there was clearly a problem "up north" - a problem which directly affected him as king - sought to remedy it.  It is testament to the power of the church at the time that in the light of so much hard evidence in the form of "ill-struck and often illegible (northern) pence", Archbishop Thomas Rotherham of York was quickly released without charge.  A significant and outstanding coin even though it emanates from the second reign, and therefore the height of the "troubles" at the mint.  SOLD

 

WSC-7945:  Rare Mint Alexander III Scottish Medieval Hammered Silver Penny.  First coinage, Long Cross & Stars.  Obverse: +ALEXANDER REX, reverse: +SIMO Nh ARER.  The rare Ayr mint.  c.1250-80, although as this is a Type III coin, it will be towards the beginning part of that timeframe.  Spink 5043.  A most unusual reverse moneyer and mint variation for two reasons: 

1)  There is unusual ligation, namely the I and M of Simon and the O and N of Simon - bizarrely, there is ligation here even though the voided long cross separates the two letters completely! 

2)  There is no "ON" separating the moneyer and mint, just an anomalous letter "h"; something I've never seen before.

There are only two examples of this mint listed on the EMC database, one being truly awful.  £495 SOLD

 

WSC-7112:  David 1st Early Scottish Hammered Silver Penny.  1124-53.  In fact David 1st coins were the first Scottish coins to be officially issued.  Period D, posthumous issue struck under Malcolm IV.  Spink 5010 with better workmanship on the dies and although the legends were meaningless, they were at least composed of properly formed letters.  Obverse: crowned bust right with sceptre, legend reads: +NRVOIL; reverse: cross fleurdelisse, pellets in angles, +.NR.  1.29g, die rotation 10h, SCBI 35, 9ff; B 27, fig.8A – same obverse die.  Tentatively attributed to the Roxburgh mint.  Slightly bent but otherwise extraordinarily good grade for this issue at nearly VF.  Indeed, not only have I never seen another coin approaching this grade in the hand, I also have seen nothing as good in reference books.  The National Museum in Edinburgh have no examples and the x5 period D examples shared between the Hunterian (Glasgow) and the Ashmolean (Oxford), one of which is a cut quarter, are not a patch on this one – the portrait of David is absolutely stunning.  A rare and important coin.  SOLD

 

WMH-7852:  Henry V Hammered Silver Medieval Long Cross Penny.  House of Lancaster, York mint.  Initial mark a clear pierced cross; mullet & trefoil by the crown - class F, Spink 1788.  A surprisingly large flan.  You'll be aware that Henry IV and V pennies are generally not the best.  To have the above three devices so clear, and to have a coin in such remarkable grade (the two things don't aways go together!) is rare indeed.  Further, York minted coins that were far from the quality of London pennies so I suppose it's even more remarkable that this coin is as good as it is.  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, and knew it, just before they went on to defeat the French.  Hurrah!  A significant coin.  SOLD

 

WSax-7718:  Offa, Kings of Mercia Hammered Silver Penny.  Light coinage, non portrait issue with the king’s name across the obverse field.  South-Eastern mint, probably either Canterbury or London although Ethelwald has not been definitively attributed whereas other moneyers are tentatively attributed to either Canterbury or London, and in some cases, either Rochester or even East Anglian mints.  1.04g, 17mm, 0 hrs.  Spink 904, North 287.  Slightly porous but of apparent good silver content, ringing pleasingly when dropped.  Unusual pellet combinations in forked ends – the obverse having only a single pellet in each fork whilst the reverse has three in each.  SOLD

 

WJC-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.  SOLD

 

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 3219.  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.  £1,850 SOLD