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Auction: 3024 - The Slaney Collection of English Coins
Lot: 38

James I, third coinage, Shilling, 5.96g., m.m. rose, sixth bust, crowned bust of king right, with long curly hair, xii behind, rev. square-topped shield, reads qvae devs, colon stops on obverse only (N.2124; S.2668), small flan flaws on obverse, otherwise attractively toned, a neatly struck coin on a full round flan, in mint state, extremely rare thus Estimate £2,000-2,500 provenance: Rev. E J Shepherd, Sotheby, 22 July 1885, lot 315 W Brice, collection purchased en bloc by H Montagu H Montagu, Sotheby, 13 November 1896, lot 206 J G Murdoch, Sotheby, 31 March 1903, lot 763 G Hamilton Smith, Glendining, 23 May 1927, lot 249 (part) V J E Ryan, Glendining, 22 January 1952, lot 1055 ("In proof-like condition") The flan of this piece, in particular the slightly concave profile of the edge, is very similar to those of the well known "Fine Work" fifth bust shillings mintmark tun, c.f. lot 35 above. Sixth bust shillings mintmark rose are rare and the dies are generally engraved to a finer standard than those of subsequent marks, but the quality of this piece is quite exceptional and it is almost certainly of "Fine Work". Another specimen, virtually identical in appearance and from the same dies, sold in the L E Bruun sale, lot 707 where it was described as "so carefully struck as to appear to be a pattern". A currency strike, from the same obverse die combined with a normal reverse die, was listed in Spink Numismatic Circular, October 1986, no.7652

Sold for
£3,600