St. James's Auctions
Auction 41 30 November 2016
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British Coins, A group of Charles I patterns by Nicholas Briot - a most unusual and impossible-to-replicate offering that comprises a grouping of coins – groat to penny – that were together in Cuff, Bergne and Montagu. Three of the coins are the same (including the unique half groat); the penny was bought by the British Museum in Montagu. But this set offers the only other penny (out of Murdoch), which is actually superior to the Montagu specimen.
As the superb provenances show, these coins have attracted remarkable loyalty from collectors seeking to maintain the grouping together – the groat and threepence have been together since before 1850, bar fourteen years! We feel it is important to keep the coins together and are therefore selling them in one lot, with original tickets, consisting of:
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern groat, 1634, CAROLVS D MAG BRIT FR ET HIB R, crowned bust l., rose and IIIID behind, rev. CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO, shield of arms on cross fourchée, date above (JGB -; N.2678 [R]), patch of old glue on surface before face, very small dents in field, otherwise a full round coin, attractively toned with golden lustre on reverse, extremely fine, very rare
*ex Cuff (2 in lot), Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 1227
ex Bergne, Sotheby's, 20 May 1873, lot 842
ex Brice 1887, purchased en bloc by Montagu
ex Montagu, Sotheby's, 13 November 1896, lot 400
ex Huth, Sotheby's, 4 April 1927, lot 390
ex Clarke Thornhill, Glendining, 24 May 1937, lot 495
ex Spink Numismatic Circular 1943, January 1943, no. 17805
ex Marshall, Spink, 31 March 2004, lot 125
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern threepence, 1634, CAR DG MAG BRIT FR ET H R, crowned bust l., rose and IIID behind, rev. SALVS REIPVB SVPREM REX, shield of arms on cross fourchée, date above (JGB 1253 (same dies); N.2681 [R]), a lovely little coin, in mint state with lustrous grey-pink/golden-blue toning, rare
*ex Cuff (2 in lot), Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 1227
ex Bergne, Sotheby's, 20 May 1873, lot 843
ex Addington 1883, purchased en bloc by Montagu
ex Montagu, Sotheby's, 13 November 1896, lot 401
ex Huth, Sotheby's, 4 April 1927, lot 391
ex Clarke Thornhill, Glendining, 24 May 1937, lot 495
ex Spink Circular 1943, January 1943, no, 17807
ex Marshall, Spink, 31 March 2004, lot 126
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern half groat, undated, CAROLVS DG MAG BRIT FR ET HIB REX, crowned bust l., rose and II behind, rev. IVSTITIA THRONVM FIRMAT, shield of arms on cross fourchée (N.2683 [R]), small adjustments at left of obverse rim, old grey tone, extremely fine
*ex Cuff, Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 1228
ex Bergne, Sotheby's, 20 May 1873, lot 844
ex Addington, purchased en bloc by Montagu, 1887
ex Montagu, Sotheby's, 13 November 1896, lot 402 ('extremely fine and unpublished')
ex Murdoch, Sotheby's, 8 June 1903, lot 320
ex Farquhar, Glendining's, 25 April 1955, lot 153
ex Snellenburg, purchased en bloc by Spink, 1965
ex Norweb, part 4, Spink, 17 June 1989, lot 1448
ex St. James's Auction 3, 3 October 2004, lot 265
Although North gives a rarity estimate of only R, the cataloguer believes this piece to be unique.
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern penny, undated, CAR DG MAG BRIT F ET H R, crowned bust l., rose and I behind, rev. IVSTITIA THRONVM FIRMAT, shield of arms on cross fourchée (N.2691 [VR]), pleasing light grey tone, good very fine
*ex Murdoch, Sotheby's, 8 June 1903, lot 326
*ex Bliss, Sotheby's, 22 March 1916, lot 405
*ex Virgil Brand collection
*ex Norweb, part 4, Spink, 17 June 1989, lot 1452
*ex St. James's Auction 3, 3 October 2004, lot 270
Spink states one of two known, the other purchased by the British Museum at the Montagu sale as lot 403 in 1896, therefore this example is unique in private hands
Montagu graded his penny only 'very fine' whereas the groat, threepence and half groat are graded as 'extremely fine' in the Montagu catalogue. Therefore it seems that this 'good very fine' example is superior to the BM coin; Murdoch, who bought the unique half groat in Montagu, and owned the only other penny, was presumably content to own the better coin.
A matched and pleasingly toned set of patterns, sharp in all details, with superior flans. A rare opportunity! (£12500-15000)
As the superb provenances show, these coins have attracted remarkable loyalty from collectors seeking to maintain the grouping together – the groat and threepence have been together since before 1850, bar fourteen years! We feel it is important to keep the coins together and are therefore selling them in one lot, with original tickets, consisting of:
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern groat, 1634, CAROLVS D MAG BRIT FR ET HIB R, crowned bust l., rose and IIIID behind, rev. CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO, shield of arms on cross fourchée, date above (JGB -; N.2678 [R]), patch of old glue on surface before face, very small dents in field, otherwise a full round coin, attractively toned with golden lustre on reverse, extremely fine, very rare
*ex Cuff (2 in lot), Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 1227
ex Bergne, Sotheby's, 20 May 1873, lot 842
ex Brice 1887, purchased en bloc by Montagu
ex Montagu, Sotheby's, 13 November 1896, lot 400
ex Huth, Sotheby's, 4 April 1927, lot 390
ex Clarke Thornhill, Glendining, 24 May 1937, lot 495
ex Spink Numismatic Circular 1943, January 1943, no. 17805
ex Marshall, Spink, 31 March 2004, lot 125
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern threepence, 1634, CAR DG MAG BRIT FR ET H R, crowned bust l., rose and IIID behind, rev. SALVS REIPVB SVPREM REX, shield of arms on cross fourchée, date above (JGB 1253 (same dies); N.2681 [R]), a lovely little coin, in mint state with lustrous grey-pink/golden-blue toning, rare
*ex Cuff (2 in lot), Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 1227
ex Bergne, Sotheby's, 20 May 1873, lot 843
ex Addington 1883, purchased en bloc by Montagu
ex Montagu, Sotheby's, 13 November 1896, lot 401
ex Huth, Sotheby's, 4 April 1927, lot 391
ex Clarke Thornhill, Glendining, 24 May 1937, lot 495
ex Spink Circular 1943, January 1943, no, 17807
ex Marshall, Spink, 31 March 2004, lot 126
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern half groat, undated, CAROLVS DG MAG BRIT FR ET HIB REX, crowned bust l., rose and II behind, rev. IVSTITIA THRONVM FIRMAT, shield of arms on cross fourchée (N.2683 [R]), small adjustments at left of obverse rim, old grey tone, extremely fine
*ex Cuff, Sotheby's, 8 June 1854, lot 1228
ex Bergne, Sotheby's, 20 May 1873, lot 844
ex Addington, purchased en bloc by Montagu, 1887
ex Montagu, Sotheby's, 13 November 1896, lot 402 ('extremely fine and unpublished')
ex Murdoch, Sotheby's, 8 June 1903, lot 320
ex Farquhar, Glendining's, 25 April 1955, lot 153
ex Snellenburg, purchased en bloc by Spink, 1965
ex Norweb, part 4, Spink, 17 June 1989, lot 1448
ex St. James's Auction 3, 3 October 2004, lot 265
Although North gives a rarity estimate of only R, the cataloguer believes this piece to be unique.
Charles I, Tower mint, pattern penny, undated, CAR DG MAG BRIT F ET H R, crowned bust l., rose and I behind, rev. IVSTITIA THRONVM FIRMAT, shield of arms on cross fourchée (N.2691 [VR]), pleasing light grey tone, good very fine
*ex Murdoch, Sotheby's, 8 June 1903, lot 326
*ex Bliss, Sotheby's, 22 March 1916, lot 405
*ex Virgil Brand collection
*ex Norweb, part 4, Spink, 17 June 1989, lot 1452
*ex St. James's Auction 3, 3 October 2004, lot 270
Spink states one of two known, the other purchased by the British Museum at the Montagu sale as lot 403 in 1896, therefore this example is unique in private hands
Montagu graded his penny only 'very fine' whereas the groat, threepence and half groat are graded as 'extremely fine' in the Montagu catalogue. Therefore it seems that this 'good very fine' example is superior to the BM coin; Murdoch, who bought the unique half groat in Montagu, and owned the only other penny, was presumably content to own the better coin.
A matched and pleasingly toned set of patterns, sharp in all details, with superior flans. A rare opportunity! (£12500-15000)