ENGLAND, Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Portcullis silver eight testerns (or reales) or dollar (27.14g), mm O, struck 1600/1, no stop after Regina (Pridmore 1; 5.2607A; Dav.406 this coin). Even grey patina, beautifully struck, extremely fine and very rare, one of the finest known.
Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 85B, lot 1627, the R.A.Climpson Collection. Previously J.D. Cuff (lot 2225 realised ?5.5.0), Lord Hastings, W. Brice, H. Montagu (1888, lot 251), A. B. Richardson (lot 166) Caldecott (lot 151), Sir Kenyon Vaughan Morgan (lot 194) where described as a "magnificent specimen probably the best known", H.M. Lingford (lot 43), F.B. Nightingale (lot 27), G.D. Bowie, S.A.H. Whetmore (lot 11) and West Country collector (F. R. Cooper) collection. Salvesen catalogue reported in 1988 38 known, of which 27 are in private hands. When last catalogued in the Cooper catalogue (8th November 1978) it was described by D. G. Liddell and P. D. Mitchell as "a superb specimen", and realised ?5,400, more than double the other four examples in that important collection.