Watch List notes:

Elizabeth I (1558-1603) gold Quarter Angel ND, S-2533, North-2007 (rare), Crescent mm (struck 1587-89), XF40 NGC, lightly struck with some obverse jumbling but on a fine flan, reverse details clear, a few light old scratches, pleasing old-gold color. The reverse legend in Latin proclaims Elizabeth as queen of Ireland and defender of the faith, and appeared at a time when England was in transition from Catholicism to Protestantism -- but the legend is most germane to the queen's via media political stance: she never divulged her personal position on religion, nor on many other controversial issues, and thus retained the crown for decades without internal strife over religion. The nation's faith would remain that of The Church of England for almost a century, from the time when this little gold coin was minted, until James II nearly threw the land back into religious war. By then, the coinage would be fully politicized with little reference to religion. In the late 1580s, when this coin was created, however, the religious theme of St Michael slaying the dragon Devil dominated one side of these coins and was opposed by the ship of state on the other. Even the name of the coin implied piety and God's dominance over all matters in the 16th century.From The Marston Collection of British Coins.

Estimate: 2750.00-3750.00 USD