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Auction: 23006 - The Official COINEX Auction at Spink
Lot: 120

The 'Eleutherios' Collection | Richard III (1483-1485), 'Lightweight' Angel, Type 2b, RICARD 'x DI x' GRA x' REX ANGL x Z FRANC : saltire stops, double after FRANC, St Michael vanquishing Dragon, rev. PER | CRUCE 'x TUAM x SALVA x nOS x XPC 'x REDE 'x ship surmounted by square-topped shield and mast dividing R and rose, 4.034g [62.25grns], 10h, m.m. boar's head 1/boar's head 2 [BH1/BH2] ('Property of a Gentleman', Sotheby's, 7 December 1915, lot 52 same dies; Clarke-Thornhill [Part I, 1937], lot 39 same dies; Winstanley [1942], Pl. I, no. 6 same dies; Raynes [1950], lot 57 same dies; Lockett 3177 same dies; SNC, September 1982, no. 6605 same dies; Webb Ware dies 2/12; Schneider I, 491; North 1676; Spink 2151), some striking softness on body of Dragon and waves, and superficial marks in areas of weakness otherwise unusually full, with a 'plate-worthy' regnal reading of this last and most infamous Plantagenet king; on an extraordinarily light planchet for this highly-regulated specie, a small test nick at 9 o'clock, otherwise a pleasing and bolder very fine, rare

Provenance

The 'Eleutherios' Collection of English Coins

Baldwin of St. James's, Auction 16, 17 April 2018, lot 280 - £10,000

Baldwin of St. James's, Auction 14, 14 January 2018, lot 64 [unsold]

St. James's Auction 39, 30 September 2016, lot 1005 - £9,000

St. James's Auction 35, 9 February 2016, lot 27 [unsold]

St. James's Auction 34, 21 September 2015, lot 41 - £11,200

St. James's Auction 33, 20 May 2015, lot 77 - 4.03g [unsold]

CNG Triton XVIII, 6 January 2015, lot 1733 - 4.05g - $16,000

Heritage, CICF Signature Sale 3032, 10 April 2014, lot 24866 - $14,500




E J Winstanley, writing in the BNJ 24 (1942, pp. 179-189), noted: "The initial mark Boar's Head, though always the same on coins of Edward V, shows considerable variation on coins of Richard III. The variations comprise differences of style and size, and a number of these variations can be observed. Nevertheless, the various boar's heads can be grouped under two main headings. One is small and crude and is on the obverse of all coins of Edward V. This I have called "BH I". The other is larger and more conventional and stylized. It tends to vary in size and length but retains always the characteristics of this group. It followed and replaced" B.H. I" and I have called it "BH 2". My drawings (p. 182), though rough, show, I think, the differences between the two groups. The way to tell one from the other on worn or badly struck coins is to look at the line that represents the bottom limit of the creature's lower jaw. In BH I, the line runs unbroken from the point of the chin to the back of the neck. In B.H. 2 there is always a distinct break in this line to represent the upward sweep of the back of the lower jaw. I have found this difference perceptible on nearly all coins. BH 2 is found in a long and a short variety, but the essential characteristics are always present and should prevent its being confused with BH 1. Only BH I is found on coins of Edward V, but both forms are found on Richard's coins. I infer therefore that Richard's coins bearing BH I are the earlier."




The cataloguer observes that the Winstanley, Plate I, no. 6, and that of Lockett (Part II, 1956, lot 1652) share the same dies as the present coin. Unsurprisingly it is to be found muled with the dimidiated (halved) SR1 pyx-mark as well.


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Sold for
£11,000

Starting price
£5000