SCOTLAND. Mary Stuart. 1542-1567. AR testoon. 4.33 gm. 30 mm. First period, 1542-1558. Before marriage. 1553. Her young (11 year old) crowned bust right; ★ MARIA • DEI • GRATIA • SCOTORVM around (small O) / Crowned shield, cinquefoil to either side; DA PACEM DOMINE 1553. S. 5401. Burns II, p 270: 1. Pl. LVII, fig. 780. St. 166. Murray (1968 BNJ) Obv C. Rev. 4 (probably). Worn, minor bends, recognizable features, name and date clear and better than many of this extremely rare issue. Extremely rare.

Murray noted "18 known." Patrick Finn thought 21. In any event, it is an extremely rare and historic type and the majority are in seriously worn condition including one of the three in the National Museum in Edinburgh. The other two Edinburgh pieces would be "good Fine" at best. Until Spink in 1981 reported "a previously unrecorded specimen" the Murdoch—Lockett example was the "finest known." Collector Geoffrey Cope owned the Spink piece and it was featured on his petitioncrown website (no longer operating). The Dundee piece (1976) was little better than the piece offered here; the Cochran-Patrick (1936) example was  better but much of the facial detail was missing; Parsons (1954) was a bit worse than this piece. The Spink Standard Catalog shows the LaRiviere piece, probably the third best known. Several serious Scottish collections lacked the piece entirely.​​​​​​​