SCOTLAND. Mary and Henry. (Mary, Fourth Period) (1565-67). AR 2/3rds ryal. 20.55 gm. 37 mm. Undated. A square topped crowned shield, a thistle on each side; •MARIA & HENRIC • DEI • GRA • R • & R • SCOTORVM (spelling unique to this undated issue) / A tortoise climbing a palm tree topped by a crown and with a banner reading DAT GLORIA VIRES. •EXVRGAT • DEVS • & • DISSIPENTR • INIMCI • EI9. S. 5426. (The new Spink Scotland/Ireland shows the wrong photograph for S. 5426. The image is of 5430.) Unpublished in Burns. (The only obverse spelling for any of this issue in Burns is SCOTORV). Near Extremely Fine; exceptional, the finest known of four.

Ex LaRiviere. Spink. 2006. Ex Davisson 29 (December 2010), lot 177.

There are four examples known of this issue without date. Holmes in SCBI 58 (National Museum of Scotland) notes about their example, ex Murray, ex Lockett, that it was struck before the date was added to the die. Murray (Spink 57) noted that the spelling "SCOTORVM" is something he had "not met on any other 2/3 Ryal." His example (1207) is worn and has the thistle revaluation countermark.Parsons (also Dundee), where it was noted as "possibly unique," (1944) is another worn and countermarked example. Dundee noted "three known."The Spink Numismatic Circular January 1969 offered an example with no countermark (411, illustration 42) that looks to be Very Fine with softness particularly on the obverse.The coin offered here was offered in Seaby's Coin and Medal Bulletin, July 1976 where they note "This present piece is the fourth recorded and probably the finest known."