Sovereign Rarities Ltd
Auction 2 24 Sep 2019
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Very Rare Gold Sovereign of King James I
James I (1603-25), gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings, first coinage (1603-04), struck in "crown" gold of 22 carat fineness, first crowned armoured half-length figure of King right, holding orb and sceptre, legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark thistle (21st May 1603 to 22nd May 1604) both sides, .IACOBVS. D; G; ANG; SCO; FRAN; ET. HIB; REX. rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, I to left and R to right, legend and beaded borders surrounding, .EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI. weight 11.11g (Schneider 1; N.2065; S.2608). Lightly toned with a copper red tinge, with a well-defined portrait, tiny nick by eye and a few other very light marks, otherwise good very fine, very rare.
The first indenture for coinage in the reign is dated 21st May 1603 and allows for a "crown" gold 22 carat Sovereign of twenty shillings, the only fine gold being the Angel and its fractions. The short-lived first issue features a legend mentioning England and Scotland separately, which only occurs in the first coinage of this King before he styles himself King of Great Britain from the second coinage onwards. The second bust mint mark lis coinage is a short-lived issue within this coinage only being issued for four and a half months, but alas there is no breakdown of output between the first mint mark of thistle and that of the lis. What we do know is only £31,609 of crown gold was made for all crown gold denominations across the first coinage which is only a small amount when compared with other later outputs in the other coinages.
Provenance:
Ex David Dupree Collection, purchased by Spink 1989.
Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, February 1991, catalogued as superb EF.
Ex Thos H Law Collection, Stacks Bowers Ponterio, Auction 176, 13th August 2013, lot 20124.
James I (1603-25), gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings, first coinage (1603-04), struck in "crown" gold of 22 carat fineness, first crowned armoured half-length figure of King right, holding orb and sceptre, legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark thistle (21st May 1603 to 22nd May 1604) both sides, .IACOBVS. D; G; ANG; SCO; FRAN; ET. HIB; REX. rev. crowned quartered shield of arms, I to left and R to right, legend and beaded borders surrounding, .EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI. weight 11.11g (Schneider 1; N.2065; S.2608). Lightly toned with a copper red tinge, with a well-defined portrait, tiny nick by eye and a few other very light marks, otherwise good very fine, very rare.
The first indenture for coinage in the reign is dated 21st May 1603 and allows for a "crown" gold 22 carat Sovereign of twenty shillings, the only fine gold being the Angel and its fractions. The short-lived first issue features a legend mentioning England and Scotland separately, which only occurs in the first coinage of this King before he styles himself King of Great Britain from the second coinage onwards. The second bust mint mark lis coinage is a short-lived issue within this coinage only being issued for four and a half months, but alas there is no breakdown of output between the first mint mark of thistle and that of the lis. What we do know is only £31,609 of crown gold was made for all crown gold denominations across the first coinage which is only a small amount when compared with other later outputs in the other coinages.
Provenance:
Ex David Dupree Collection, purchased by Spink 1989.
Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, February 1991, catalogued as superb EF.
Ex Thos H Law Collection, Stacks Bowers Ponterio, Auction 176, 13th August 2013, lot 20124.