Ancient Gold (and occasional silver!) Coins

-------->Remember, postage is included<--------

 

 

 

Scottish & English Hammered and Milled Gold Coins:

 

 

Please note that Lay-Away is no longer available on any gold coinage unless by prior arrangement. 

 

 

Celtic Gold

 

WAu-9297:  Celtic Britain Gold Stater - Trinovantes: Addedomaros.  Full gold stater: Crossed Wreath type with a reverse horse, facing right, a wheel below, A DOM above and an annulet with pellet (clogged dies) below that.  Originally occupying an area around their main centre of Colchester, they were neighbours of the Catuvellauni tribe - their base being around St Albans - and later appeared to have amalgamated under the control of the Cunobelin.  S.R.200, circa late first century BC.  Old tickets here.  An absolutely outstanding piece of artwork, in gold, from well before AD43 when the Romans invaded these shores.  £1,875

Provenance:

ex D. Palm collection - his white ticket where he incorrectly attributes this as a "silver" stater

ex Tim Owen - early ticket with plain reverse

 

WAu-9298:  Celtic Britain Gold Stater - Corieltauvi - Kite Type.  Early uninscribed full gold stater, mid to late first century BC.  Obverse: a very crude laureate head, regularly seen on all Corieltauvi types as little more than a plain surface.  The reverse depicts a wonderfully stylised and disjointed Celtic horse, facing left, with a trefoil of pellets before the hind legs and the trademark kite, containing a quatrefoil of pellets, above.  S.R.392.  Formally known as the Coritani, this tribe occupied Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, up to Yorkshire, down the Leicestershire and even into Northamptonshire.  The South Ferriby type (S.R.390) is the one that nearly always turns up so this Kite type, although not really being reflected as such in Sovereign Rarities, is much the rarer variety.  Old tickets here.  An absolutely outstanding piece of artwork, in gold, from well before AD43 when the Romans invaded these shores.  £945

Provenance:

ex Andy Gillis collection

ex Mike Vosper

ex Gentleman Collector - his very old looking ticket which would appear to date Messrs Gillis & Vosper rather harshly!

 

WAu-9096:  Celtic Britain Gold Stater - Iceni Tribe, Freckengham Type.  Eastern England (Norfolk), home of Boudicca.  Circa 45-40 BC.  Obverse: two opposed crescents with a triad of pellets above and below, together with a row of pellets emanating from each concave side of the crescents, but no apparent stars in the field.  Sideways V shapes either side of the crescents, running in the same direction of the crescents as opposed to ABC 1447 (those sideways V shapes either side of the crescents run in the opposite direction).  There is an obverse exergue (below the ground line) but unlike the other two similar varieties listed in ABC (there are many Freckenham types but only three recorded similar to this coin) that contain either a star of a triad of pellets, this is empty.  Reverse: galloping horse, right, star below, solar ring above, pellet in circle above and to the right of the horse's tail which is the exact opposite of where it should be on ABC 1774.  A more abstract horse than usual with large pellets for the chest and rear, smaller pellets for feet, all joined simply by lines.  S.R. 426 var, ABC 1774 var, Van Arsdell 620-7 var (this variety doesn't appear in that group either).  An unusual variation of the Freckenham type, possibly unrecorded.  That notwithstanding, this is a very nice grade coin indeed, with excellent eye-appeal.  Iceni coins, especially gold staters, are always desirable due to the Boudicca connection.  £1,745 RESERVED J.K.

 

WAu-7993:  Extremely Rare 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 seemingly common enough Ambiani stater from the Gallic War period with the disjoined or sinuous horse, right, and a blank obverse.  However, the double "S" below the horse and either side of the pellet render this coin excessively rare.  Ancient British Coins (ABC) by Chris Rudd, the go-to reference for Celtic coins since 2010, taking over from Van Arsdell, has no recorded examples.  Ambiani is ABC 16, with nothing either side of the pellet.  He lists an Atrebates stater (ABC 19) as having a single S below the horse but the coin for sale here is NOT Atrebates (the Atrebates were separated from the Ambiani by the Canche river) as they have a letter A on the obverse.  S.R. lump the Gallic War issues together and put forward S.R. 13 - a stater with a single S on the reverse, but this turns out to be Atrebates and references back to ABC 19 - but again, even if this was the correct attribution, and it isn't, it's just a single S whereas this coin has a double reversed S.  Interestingly, the double reverse "SS" symbols appear on slightly later staters and quarter staters from the North Thames region, ABC 2237 and 2243-49 (these are the only marks on an otherwise plain reverse, unlike the symbols on this coin) and are thought to represent lightning flashes rather than letters.  So, a very common tribe (although interestingly, Ambiani staters now seem to be more expensive than Coritani staters, which certainly wasn't the case a decade ago) but an excessively rare variant that is to my knowledge unrecorded and / or unpublished.  Quite a find!  5.85g (see image here).  From an old Northern 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.  £1,895

 

WAu-7994:  Celtic Gold Spiral Type Full Stater.  Trinovantes & Catuvellauni - Addedomaros, circa 50 BC to 1 AD.  Originally located north of the Thames area, central to the east coast.  A spiral wreath of x6 arms extending outwards from three back-to-back crescents at the centre.  The reverse horse is facing right with a ring pellet either side and a cornucopia below.  S.R. 210, ABC 2517 - Ancient British Coins by Chris Rudd, the go-to reference for Celtic coins since 2010, taking over from Van Arsdell.  Not a rare coin but rare in this grade - it's generally not a well defined issue but this coin is a strong example with little wear.  Toned and lustrous.  Excellent provenance.  £975 RESERVED J.K.

Found Wing, Buckinghamshire

Ex T. Matthews (1999)

Ex Haddenham collection

Ex Spink

 

WAu-9017:  Celtic Iron Age Full Gold Stater - Verica.  Sole ruler of the Southern region, 10-40 AD,  and closely allied with Rome, so much so that in AD 42, Verica fled to Rome in order to seek assistance from Claudius, which would appear somewhat ambitious, knowing what we now know about Claudius, although with the Claudian invasion of Britain in AD 43, perhaps not - even Claudius would have recognised the strategic importance of embedded, compliant "friends" in a land to be conquered.  Obverse: "COMF" on tablet - a tribute to Commios, Verica being the so-called third son of Commios (the others being Eppillus & Tincommius); rev: Horseman, right, holding spear, REX below, VIR behind the galloping horseman.  Rex is Latin for king (another nod to Rome) but Verica literally meant "the high one", as in Your Highness.  In fairness, Verica was very successful, much more than his brothers, at least up until AD 40!!  S.R. 120, ABC 1190, Van Arsdell 500-1, BMC 1146-58.  See here for weight and tickets.  An interesting question - is the horseman actually a horsewoman?  A very nice, popular Celtic full gold stater.  £2,325

 

WAu-9193:  Celtic Gold Quarter Stater - only Two Men in a Boat.  Catuvellauni, Westerham type, circa 80-60 BC.  Obverse: only two men in this boat as opposed to the usual three.  Reverse: a tree-like structure.  S.R. ---, ABC ---, British Aa2, class 2 "Carn Brea" (reference Divided Kingdoms, pp 148-9, Greenlight Publishing).  The Durotriges of West Hampshire derived the design of their quarter staters (usually found in silver) from this earlier Westerham type.  Extremely rare.  £645

 

 

 

Celtic Silver

 

WAu-9176:  Rare and Choice Celtic Corieltauvi Silver PROTO-BOAR Unit.  Uninscribed silver issue of 55-45 BC.  Termed Proto-Boar (also known as Hosidius type as the boar is supposedly inspired by the Republican denaris of C.Hosidius c.f. Geta, 68 BC).  The obverse shows a standing boar, right, with an incredibly curly tail, a spear protruding from shoulder and a solar rosette above.  Usually seen with an S below the boar but this rarer example omits that.  The reverse depicts a horse standing left, a large pelleted sun above and two, not the usual one, pellet-in-rings below.  The protruding spear type is much the rarer and keenly sought after by collectors.  S.R.396 (an entry encompassing many different types), A.B.C. 1779 (ticket in error gives 1782), B.M.C. 3208.  I've been fortunate enough to have seen a few of these over the years and have owned one for a while until it entered into the renowned Ian Millington collection.  Without exception, this is the best example by a country mile.  All the others had either the horse, or usually the boar, off-struck and so only half there.  To get an example such as thus, where you have a full horse and a full boar, is unprecedented, at least in my experience.  Further, most are what are termed "no spear types".  Rare and choice.  £735

Provenance:

Found Ewerby late 1990's

 

 

 

Roman Gold

 

WAu-9019:  Roman Gold Aureus - Hadrian with Sought After She-Wolf, Romulus & Remus Reverse.  Struck Rome, AD 124-5.  Obverse: Laureate head right, slight drapery to far shoulder, HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS.  Reverse: Capitoline wolf, left, suckling the twins Romulus & Remus, COS above, III below in exergue.  An extremely popular, sought-after and quite difficult reverse type to source and Hadrian is one of the most popular emperors to collect anyway, regardless of reverses.  They come with the wolf left and wolf right facing.  See here for the weight and here for a coin-in-the-hand image using a camera phone.  RIC II. 3 709, BMCRE 449, Biaggi 598.  The last one to go through Auction was earlier this year, Spink, with an £8,500 price after buyer's commission - I was the underbidder, or one bid under that.  There or thereabouts, though.  A rare coin and a rare oportunity.  £7,450

 

 

 

Saxon Gold

 

WAu-8089:  Early Anglo-Saxon English Crondall Gold Thrysma or Shilling.  Witman type with obverse bust right, a trident in front.  Circa 620-45.  The reverse has a blundered legend surrounding a crude cross with what is a very different 4th terminal to what we'd normally expect to see on this type.  Sutherland type IV.1, S.R. 753.  Of excellent gold content - it was from this point onwards that the metal used for Saxon coinage was increasingly and progressively "watered down" with silver (the post Crondall and European types have that insipid gold colour about them) until by circa AD 660's, they were all entirely silver in metal content.  Recorded on the E.M.C. database (2022-0426).  The Crondall (Hampshire) Hoard of 1828 was the single largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold coins found prior to the 21st century.  It comprised 97 gold coins, together with three unstruck gold planchets and one gold-plated object that could have been a coin forgery.  Of the 97 coins, 73 were Anglo-Saxon Thrymsa and 24 were Merovingian or Frankish tremissis.  The consensus amongst historians is that hoard dates from between AD 635 and about AD 650.  The coins are now in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford.  Of the 73 Thrysmas, x4 in the hoard had the same obverse die as the coin listed here.  All Crondall "Native Anglo-Saxon" type Thrysmas are rare - even the late "two emperors" type, which is invariably the one to turn up.  Very few gold Saxon coins were minted and hardly any survived - it would only be through hoards or casual field losses.  This is an extremely important and significant Anglo-Saxon gold coin.  £5,695

 

 

 

Medieval Hammered Gold

 

 WAu-7812:  Edward III Medieval Hammered Gold Full Noble.  Fourth coinage, post-treaty period of 1369-77, group III.  S.R. 1521, North 1281, Schneider 115.  Calais mint.  The town of Calais in what is now Northern France was under English rule from 1347 until 7 January 1558, being a bit of a vanity statement for the English monarchs in their claim on the French crown. It cost almost 1/5th of all the revenue collected in England to maintain Calais as an English possession.  The mint was opened in 1363 as a direct result of the treaty between France and England and meant the mintage of coinage for England could be outsourced to Calais to aid in the newly formed cross-channel trading routes.  The relationship between the two countries has perhaps always been a tad strained - the mint closed in 1440 after really only producing limited coinage under Edward III, a tiny amount of gold under Richard II and Henry IV, a miniscule quantity of farthings under Henry V and some of the earlier coinage of Henry VI.  Rusty obverse dies – perhaps a result of French sea air?!  Ex Malthouse collection; also accompanied by a much earlier, unidentified ticket.  £5,450

 

WAu-9021:  Edward III Medieval Hammered Gold Full Noble.  Fourth coinage, pre-treaty period, 1351-61.  Series E with impaired letters on the dies so c.1354-55.  Initial mark Cross 2, E at centre of reverse, S.R. 1488, Schneider 23 (the obverse), North 1160.  Note the red deposits at 1 o'clock on the reverse.  This is usually the remains of inert red wax where the coin has been prepared to be copied into a very early iteration of the BMC.  With much patience, this coin should be able to be located with perhaps a more in-depth provenance.  See here for old tickets and here for weight.  About VF thus scarce.  £4,995

Provenance

Ex Spink (2010), sold to

Ex Estafefette collection

 

WAu-9020:  Henry IV Hammered Gold Medieval Half Noble.  Light Coinage of 1412-13 only.  This is a single issue, S.R. 1716.  A contemporary imitation.  Ex Patrick Finn (1999) where he describes this as, “Very fine, unrecorded and very interesting since there are very few known half nobles of Henry IV.”  See here for the original Patrick Finn write-up with his corresponding photograph here.  The weight is here.  The official Henry IV half nobles are as rare as hens' teeth (we're talking the fingers on one hand) but this contemporary imitation is thought to be unique.  Nothing can be rarer than this!  £2,895

Provenance

Ex Patrick Finn FPL 17, 1999 – Number 6 – £650 “Very fine, unrecorded and very interesting since there are very few known half nobles of Henry IV.”

 

WAu-9022:  Henry V Medieval Hammered Gold Full Noble.  Series C with a broken annulet on the side of the ship.  1413-22.  Initial mark Cross Pattée (4), S.R. 1742.  Easter 1412, the very tail end of Henry IV, hailed a numismatic New Dawn – due to fiscally challenging times, gold and silver coinage was officially issued at a reduced weight.  We’re all so jaded with officialdom today that many might think this was no big deal but although there had previously been “tinkering” of weights (Edward III nobles down from 138 grains to 120 grains), this was the first official “Light Coinage” episode where the coin in your hand was not quite worth the amount it represented.  A few Henrys on and just over 100 years in the future, Henry VIII took this concept to a whole new level.  Some might even argue that reducing silver content by half and then ultimately taking silver out of coinage altogether in the early and mid 20th century was worse still.  However, in 1412 in was the first time and it was momentous.  This decision made, it would be an obvious move, you’d imagine, to increase the output of gold from the mint, thereby benefiting the exchequer.  However, there is no numismatic evidence suggesting that this actually happened; the main reason being that bullion was still very thin on the ground.  Another reason was the almost complete lack of skilled staff at every level in the mint due to extreme inactivity during the preceding years.  In September 1412, the warden at the mint was ordered to recruit moneyers and die-sinkers.  This clearly impacted Henry IV coinage but it also affected early Henry V coinage, especially gold, for the above reasons of lack of sufficient bullion and a new workforce at the mint who would have needed a lot of time to get up to speed.  See here for weight.  This gold noble is a superb example of this rarer monarch, being at least as good as both nobles S.R. put up as plate coins, with all the vast resources at their fingertips.  £6,450

 

WAu-7555:  Edward IV Hammered Medieval Gold Ryal or Rose Noble.  Light Coinage of 1464 – 1470 only, London mint, small fleurs in spandrels, initial mark Crown, S.R. 1951.  This coin, issued in 1465, whilst unambiguously attractive in design, was a bit of a disaster.  It superseded the old Noble because this was now considered a clunky and old fashioned denomination at 6s. 8d.  The new Ryal or Rose Noble denomination was nice and user-friendly at 10 shillings.  However, it wasn’t.  The noble had been around for so long that 6s. 8d. had actually become the professionals’ standard fee.  Whilst these professionals wouldn’t have minded being the beneficiary of a not inconsequential pay rise virtually overnight, the people who employed these individuals were most certainly not up for that.  Thus the new 10 shilling Ryal or Rose Noble denomination was itself superseded just 5 years later by the gold Angel and everyone was happy because the Angel circulated at, wait for it, exactly the same as the old Noble - 6s. 8d, or at least it did until Henry VIII got involved when, somewhat counter-intuitively, it increased to 7s. 6d in his Second Coinage!  At virtually full weight and VF grade, this is a lovely example of an iconic English late Medieval hammered gold coin.  £6,850

 

WAu-9098:  Henry VI Medieval Hammered Gold Noble in High Grade.  Henry VI, first reign, annulet issue, 1422-30.  London mint.  Obverse: annulet by sword arm, trefoil stops, lis after hENRIC.  Reverse: annulet stops, mullet after IhC, single annulet in one spandrel with lis in the remaining seven.  S.R. 1799, North 1414, Whitton Heavy 4b, Schneider 1-275.  Henry VI was born December 6, 1421 in Windsor, Berkshire and died May 21 or 22, 1471 in London.  He reigned from 1422 to 1461 and then from 1470 to 1471. He was a pious and studious recluse whose incapacity for government was one of the causes of the Wars of the Roses. Old tickets here.  A most impressive coin.  £6,975

Provenance

ex Royal Mint

ex CNG

ex Spink

 

 

 

Scottish Hammered Gold

 

WAu-9100:  Robert III Hammered Gold Scottish Demi-Lion.  Heavy coinage, 1390-1403.  Second issue, circulated at 2s, 6d.  Obverse: crowned shield not in tressure, reverse: long saltire cross with lis and closed trefoils in angles.  S.R. 5158.  The accompanying ticket is misattributed:  The light coinage was 20 grains / 1.30 grams.  This coin is 24 grains / 1.56 grams.  It cannot be the light issue.  Saying that, the obverse legend: +ROBERTVS:DEI G REX SCOT (a particularly rare obverse die, more so with the reversed C in SCOT), is a late heavy issue type but the reverse legend, XPC REGNAT TX PE:VIN is very much an early light coinage type.  As such, this coin can't physically be a heavy-light coinage mule (could be a light-heavy coinage mule but the weight discounts that) so it's likely to be an extremely late transitional heavy coinage issue, utilizing the new dies destined for the light coinage, which were literally just around the corner.  Hitherto unrecorded to my knowledge.  Coincraft state, "Several of the issues are extremely rare or even unique but two, whilst rare, are obtainable".  This coin falls into the extremely rare or even unique category.  Effectively the first Scottish gold coinage (the trial David II noble was on a par with the English Edward 1st groat in terms of its popularity and longevity), based on the English half and quarter nobles.  This is only the second example of this denomination I've had from this monarch and it, along with virtually every illustration you'll find, was not as good as this coin.  Generally, the obverse dies seem to be particular prone to poor striking.  This coin not so - in fact the moneyer was particularly enthusiastic with this coin as the reverse cross is visible on the obverse, such was his vigour with the hammer!  Scottish gold rarely hits the open market.  Sovereign Rarities sold their S.R. 5157 Demi-Lion last year for £9,750.  If you look it up, theirs was apparently the joint second best recorded example.  We also note that the March 2026 Davisson example - S.R.5161 - hammered at $9,500 plus associated add-ons.  The coin for sale here is as good as that one and don't forget, prices have moved on up since then.  A very rare offering in today's market - in any market!  £7,650

 

WAu-9195:  Scottish Medieval James 1st Hammered Gold Demy of 9 Shillings.  Initial mark Crown on the obverse, Cross Potent on the reverse.  Struck Edinburgh.  Class II with large reverse open centre quatrefoils - S.R.5190.  Lion rampant in a lozenge / saltire cross within tressure.  The term Demy (sometimes Demi) derives from the French for half because this coin was very much based on the English half noble.  That is perhaps surprising considering that when James' father died and he was supposed to ascend the throne, James was literally being held prisoner by the English, so much so that a Regency had to be formed under Robert, Duke of Albany (1406-1420) and then upon the Duke's death, his son, Murdock.  It would be 1424, nearly 20 years of captivity under the English, that he eventually took up his role as rightful monarch, but only then after a £40,000 (well over a million pound today) ransom was paid.  At virtually full weight, VF grade and being problem-free, this medieval Scottish gold coin is extremely desirable in today's frenetic market where individually, rarity and grade are king, but rarity and grade together...?!  The new Scottish & Irish Sovereign Rarity (ex Spink) price guide is currently being put together where coins in this league will surely leap forward in catalogue pricing because for at least a couple of decades they have been held back to well under actual market values.  A exceptional coin.  £6,975

 

WAu-9294:  1594 James VI Scottish Hammered Gold Rider.  Seventh coinage, pre accession - circulated at 100 shillings.  Initial mark Quatrefoil, pellets by the 1594 date.  Obverse: the king in armour with a sword, on a galloping horse, right; reverse: crowned shield.  SCBI 58, 1278ff; B4, fig.954, S.R.5458.  Good provenance with a great amount of tickets.  Minor marks to the left of the shield otherwise a nicely toned VF grade.  We note the March 2026 Davisson's auction example of similar date rarity achieved a hammer price of US $9,500 with associated add-ons.  The coin on offer here is of comparable grade and, unlike the Davisson example, actually has its front legs prominently on view!  £6,950

Provenance:

Old ticket, marked at £1,750 reduced to £1,500

ex Baldwin, November 2012, ticket market at £3,500, sold to...

ex William N. Clarke collection, many tickets

 

WAu-9295:  1602 James VI Scottish Hammered Gold Half Sword and Sceptre.  Eighth coinage, pre accession - circulated at 60 shillings.  Initial mark Quatrefoil.  Obverse: crowned arms; reverse: crossed sword and sceptre, crown above with thistles at the sides.  SCBI 35, 1198-9, same reverse die, S.R.5462.  The half sword & sceptres are more difficult to source, thus rarer, than the full sword & sceptres.  Good provenance with a great amount of tickets.  Slightly wavy flan (could easily be sorted), toned and about VF grade.  £2,350

Provenance:

ex Sovereign Rarities, ticket market at £1,300, sold to...

ex William N. Clarke collection, many tickets

 

 

 

Tudor Hammered Gold

 

WAu-9296:  Henry VII Tudor Hammered Gold Angel.  Type III with new dies - the angel has both feet on the dragon.  Initial mark Anchor, 1499 - 1502.  The angel, which circulated at 6s.8d, was a medieval coin but under this first Tudor monarch, was restyled with St Michael - about to symbolically thrust the devil into the pit - no longer adorned with feathers, rather clad in armour of Renaissance style.  S.R.2183.  £2,325

Provenance:

A field find from around the Horncastle / Skegness area of Eastern England.

 

WAu-7311:  Henry VIII Hammered Gold Crown of the Double Rose.  Third coinage, initial mark none / WS monogram, 1544-47, Bristol mint.  S.R. 2310.  Ex Spink (various tickets here).  Slightly wavy flan with minor edge splits.  A very popular coin and invariably a minimum of £5K in today’s market.  This one priced very competitively at £4,295

 

WAu-9099:  Henry VIII with WIFE Hammered Gold Crown of the Double Rose.  Second coinage, 1526-44, circulated at five shillings, 22 ct gold.  London (Tower) mint.  hK both sides, initial mark Lis, S.R. 2274.  Struck to commemorate the king's marriage to Katherine of Aragon.  This was the king's first wife.  Katherine was originally betrothed to Henry's elder brother, Arthur, when she was 3 years old.  They married when she was 16, but was widowed just a few months later.   It took Henry another 7 years to marry Katherine although to be fair, he was only 18 when he married Katherine!  The Irish Harp coinage of Henry VIII celebrates some wives but not Katherine of Aragon - she can only be found on this English gold coinage.  Quick quiz: which wives, if any, are not represented on either the English or Irish coins?  Old tickets here.  A pleasing solid VF grade.  £4,850

Provenance

ex Royal Mint

ex Spink

 

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

Provenance:

ex Seaby (old tickets), 1953?  £750

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

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

ex Scottish collection

 

WAu-9161:  Edward VI - Spectacular Portrait - Hammered Gold Half Sovereign.  Initial mark Martlet: 1550.  Southwark (London) mint, second period, January 1549 to April 1550 so this coin very much the latter part of the second period.  Crowned bust - the earlier issue had Edward without a crown.  S.R.2438.  Sold 13 years ago for £5,626 - see ticket here.  An impressive coin with much eye-appeal.  Very rare.  £7,895

Provenance:

ex St James Auction, £2012, £5,625

ex HistoryInCoins, 2015, £6,500

ex Scottish collection

 

 

 

Milled Gold

 

WAu-7816:  1673 Charles II Restoration Period Milled Full Gold Guinea.  Fourth laureate bust with the rounded truncation.  John & Joseph Roettier dies with Blondeau’s machinery – the milling on the edge of the coin was a safeguard against clipping which had been not just a thorn in the side of every hammered period, but rather a stake.  The practise of clipping officially ended here after several hundred years.  The Guinea was so named because some of the gold bullion used came from the country of Guinea, via the Africa Company.  It was a 20 shilling denomination, directly replacing the short-lived 1662 gold Broad of 20 shillings.  The racehorse aficionados among you are probably crying out “21 shillings, 21 shillings!” but revaluation of a guinea to that amount took place in 1717 under George 1st.  Incidentally, there were times prior to 1717 where the actual value of a guinea (and remember, the value of any coin, guineas very much included, was entirely based on the precious metal content) was even higher than 21 shillings due to market fluctuations in the value, or spot price of gold.  S.R. 3344.  No mount marks.  £2,775

 

WAu-7817:  1701 William III Milled Full Gold Guinea.  Second laureate bust with a proliferation of hair.  The milling on the edge of the coin was a safeguard against clipping which had been not just a thorn in the side of every hammered period, but rather a stake.  The practise of clipping officially ended with the introduction of milled coinage in 1662.  The Guinea was so named because some of the gold bullion used came from the country of Guinea, via the Africa Company.  It was a 20 shilling denomination, directly replacing the short-lived 1662 gold Broad of 20 shillings of the earlier Charles II.  The racehorse aficionados among you are probably crying out “21 shillings, 21 shillings!” but revaluation of a guinea to that amount took place in 1717 under George 1st.  Incidentally, there were times prior to 1717 where the actual value of a guinea (and remember, the value of any coin, guineas very much included, was entirely based on the precious metal content) was even higher than 21 shillings due to market fluctuations in the value, or spot price of gold.  S.R. 3463.  Ex Morton & Eden (their ticket sold with this coin) for £2,000 hammer (£2,600 after commissions) in 2022, ex Spink.  No mount marks and really, a very nice grade example for a William III guinea.  £2,975

 

WAu-7818:  1714 Queen Anne Milled Full Gold Guinea.  Post Scottish union, third draped bust.  The milling on the edge of the coin was a safeguard against clipping which had been not just a thorn in the side of every hammered period, but rather a stake.  The practise of clipping officially ended with the introduction of milled coinage in 1662.  The Guinea was so named because some of the gold bullion used came from the country of Guinea, via the Africa Company.  It was a 20 shilling denomination, directly replacing the short-lived 1662 gold Broad of 20 shillings of the earlier Charles II.  The racehorse aficionados among you are probably crying out “21 shillings, 21 shillings!” but revaluation of a guinea to that amount took place in 1717 under George 1st.  Incidentally, there were times prior to 1717 where the actual value of a guinea (and remember, the value of any coin, guineas very much included, was entirely based on the precious metal content) was even higher than 21 shillings due to market fluctuations in the value, or spot price of gold.  It won’t have escaped your notice that with Queen Anne gold coinage in particular, when they do come up, they are almost always HALF guineas.  It really is hard work finding full guineas.  S.R. 3574.  Ex Spink with associated Spink tickets.  Interestingly, Spink now appear to use the Ellerby Hoard as a classification guide – their classification is “Ellerby 181-190”, meaning lots 181 through to 190 in the Ellerby Hoard sale that they conducted were all 1714 Queen Anne Guineas.  For context, the Ellerby Hoard is a hoard of 266 17th-18th century hammered and milled gold coins found in a manganese-mottled salt-glazed stoneware vessel in the garden of a house in Ellerby, East Riding of Yorkshire in 2019.  Hoard estimate £200,000; hammer £750,000.  As this guinea is ex Spink (but not ex Ellerby), I think it only fair to compare.  The Ellerby coin that I’ve attached here, lot 187, is clearly not quite as good grade as the one on offer on this website.  Never-the-less, both attracted a Spink grade of “pleasing VF” (NGC got a little carried away and graded it About Uncirculated!)  The Ellerby coin sold for £4,000 after commissions, and that was several years ago with the market ever moving upwards.  Obviously there’s a small premium for provenance to consider as it was very good provenance.  This coin: no mount marks, some lustre, well struck up.  £3,275