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Auction: 24006 - British and World Coins
Lot: 32

Edward III, temp. John Stoke de Appleford (1328-1342), Second 'Star' Coinage, Halfpenny, c. 1339-1343, Reading [Abbatial Mint], struck from 22 February 1339 from London-made dies, + EDWARDVS REX AN * six-pointed star at terminus of legend, crowned bust facing, rev. VIL | LA* R | ADI | NGy, star before RADINGY with Roman N, long cross, trio of pellets in angles, except in second quarter where replaced by a scallop shell [the sign of Reading Abbey and its dedication to St James], 0.655g [10.10grns], 12h (Folkes, 'Table of English Coins', Supplement, Part II, Pl. I; Snelling, II, 7; B Bartlett, Archaeologia, 1779, p. 338 = 31 April 1787 [Sixth Day], Sale, Lot 20 [£0.18.0] = Edward Hodsoll = Samuel Tyssen = SCBI 39 [North], 1051 = BM E.4477 same obverse die; Rud. III, 2; J D Cuff 806 = Wigan = Marsham-Townshend 300[a] = Montagu II, 446[b] = Murdoch I, 294 [d] this coin; L A Lawrence -; Watters -; Lockett -; E J Harris & P Woodhead, SCMB, January 1966, p. 5, no. 16; Withers 2i/2a; North 1103/3; S.1541), waterworn and with historic cabinet marks, yet lightly cabinet toned, struck details only fine, yet still probably the finest known specimen and notably superior to the crimped specimen in the National collection, excessively rare and with an astonishing and unbroken 19th Century pedigree through the greatest of Numismatic cabinets from Carlyon-Britton (1958); Lord Grantley (1944); Murdoch (1903); Montagu (1896); Marsham-Townshend (1888); Wigan (1872) and afforded an exclusive single lot sale status at the legendary Cuff dispersal of June 1854 where it fetched a full Guinea!

Provenance

The Isladulcie Collection of Medieval Silver Coins
SJA 5, 27 September 2006, lot 160 - £400



SCMB, November 1958, no. 5724* - "good fine for this coin" - £15.0.0

SCMB, June 1953, no. 5927 - "nearly fine, RRR" - £10.0.0

Raymond Carlyon-Britton, collection dispersed by Seaby
A H Baldwin, by private treaty with Raymond Carlyon-Britton; his having failed to secure it as a Spink commission under-bidder at the Grantley sale

Lord Grantley, Fourth Portion, Glendining, 20-21 April 1944, lot 1365 [part] - "Second Period (1335-43), halfpenny of Reading, star at end obv. legend and before RADINGY ; scallop shell in second quarter, well preserved and very rare, from the Montagu and Murdoch Collections" - £12.10.0 [Baldwin]

John G Murdoch, First Portion, Sotheby's, 31 March - 4 April 1903, lot 294 [part] - "...and Halfpenny of Reading, rev. VILLA RADINGY, with scallop-shell in place of pellets in one angle of the cross, the Halfpenny has star after AN on obv. and after VILLA on rev....fine" - £3.10.0

Hyman Montagu, Second Portion, 11-16 May 1896, lot 446 [part] - "...and Halfpenny, [Reading], with star after AN and rev. VILLA * RADINGY...well preserved, all of the highest rarity, from the Marsham collection" - £4.4.0 [Spink for Murdoch]

Hon. Robert Marsham-Townshend, Sotheby's, 19-26 November 1888, lot 300 [part] - "...Reading, Halfpenny, Hks. 315, with star after AN. on obv. rev. VILLA * RADINGY., with scallop in one angle of cross. wt. 10 grs....very rare and well preserved" - £2.10.0 [Spink for Montagu]

Edward Wigan, collection dispersed privately by Rollin & Feuardent, 1872

James Dodsley Cuff, Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 806 - "Halfpenny, with star m.m., rev. struck at Reading, having an escallop in the angle; very rare, and well preserved" - £1.1.0 [Cureton for Wigan]



The Royal writ of 26 August 1338, re-issued on the 8 November that year, instructed the Exchequer to supply three dies for pence, halfpence and farthings for the benefit of Reading Abbey. A second writ of 18 November 1338 required the Warden John de Flete of the Tower Mint to supply the dies by 25 November - with marks and inscriptions as specified by the abbot.



On 22 February 1339, a final writ to The Exchequer stated that Abbot and monks of Reading had received their penny die, and it thus ordered the delivery of halfpenny and farthing dies being kept by The Exchequer.



Jeffrey North suggested that Reading Abbey received especial dispensation to mint both halfpennies and farthings at 0.833 fineness - because the minting of sterling silver pence was unprofitable due to the increasing cost of silver bullion. The Fox brothers noted the probable unprofitability of minting pence in Reading before the weight reduction of 1344, but a Reading penny from the dies of 1338 has since been found by a metal detectorist and identified



The cataloguer wishes to extend his thanks to David Greenhalgh for his assistance with the interpretation of this important coin

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Estimate
£400 to £600

Starting price
£150