Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 50-51 15 Oct 2020
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Elizabeth I, first issue, angel, mm. lis (1559-60), wire-line inner circles, St. Michael slaying the dragon, ELIZABETH D G ANG FRAN Z HIB REGI, rev. ship facing right, bearing shield, cross above, E and rose above, A DNO FACTVM EST ISTVD Z EST MIRABILE, pellet stops, wt. 5.10gms. (S.2513; N.1979; Schneider 731; Brown & Comber C1), slightly uneven flan, otherwise very fine and rare
*ex Stacks Bowers, 13th January 2004, lot 115
Purchased Knightsbridge Coins, 2004
The sad state of the money caused by Henry VIII's expenditures gradually began to be corrected during the 1550s but the reigns of Edward VI and Mary Tudor were preoccupied by other matters. The young queen Elizabeth, who by all accounts possessed a brilliant mind and concerned herself personally with all the matters of state, watched as her mint officials, under her command, enlarged the mint with the addition of new buildings, which Craig (The Mint, p. 119) noted as being 'devoted entirely to the recoinage, in the eastern segment of the space between the Tower walls'. It became known as the 'upper mint' and poured out new English coins until it was later renamed the 'Irish Mint' and issued coinage for that kingdom throughout the eighteenth century. The organization of the mint was improved at the same time as the new buildings were completed in December 1560: Sir Edmund Pekham as high-treasurer oversaw the under-treasurer responsible for the quality (assaying) of all gold, the comptroller responsible for assuring a constant quality in the gold and silver coins, an assay-master, an auditor and a chief-engraver, among other newly appointed employees. All of their pay was increased in recognition of their importance. The improvement was important enough that a coat of arms was created for the Mint, containing 'charges' from the five senior employees' family arms (Challis, The Tudor Coinage, p. 248; earlier so described by Leake, 1793, p. 233). Such strict control of the mint's organization and output would not be equalled until Isaac Newton's mastership of the mint a century and a half later. It produced gold coins such as this early angel which no one would not accept as good money-and in fact changed the nature of British coinage.
(5000-7000 GBP)
*ex Stacks Bowers, 13th January 2004, lot 115
Purchased Knightsbridge Coins, 2004
The sad state of the money caused by Henry VIII's expenditures gradually began to be corrected during the 1550s but the reigns of Edward VI and Mary Tudor were preoccupied by other matters. The young queen Elizabeth, who by all accounts possessed a brilliant mind and concerned herself personally with all the matters of state, watched as her mint officials, under her command, enlarged the mint with the addition of new buildings, which Craig (The Mint, p. 119) noted as being 'devoted entirely to the recoinage, in the eastern segment of the space between the Tower walls'. It became known as the 'upper mint' and poured out new English coins until it was later renamed the 'Irish Mint' and issued coinage for that kingdom throughout the eighteenth century. The organization of the mint was improved at the same time as the new buildings were completed in December 1560: Sir Edmund Pekham as high-treasurer oversaw the under-treasurer responsible for the quality (assaying) of all gold, the comptroller responsible for assuring a constant quality in the gold and silver coins, an assay-master, an auditor and a chief-engraver, among other newly appointed employees. All of their pay was increased in recognition of their importance. The improvement was important enough that a coat of arms was created for the Mint, containing 'charges' from the five senior employees' family arms (Challis, The Tudor Coinage, p. 248; earlier so described by Leake, 1793, p. 233). Such strict control of the mint's organization and output would not be equalled until Isaac Newton's mastership of the mint a century and a half later. It produced gold coins such as this early angel which no one would not accept as good money-and in fact changed the nature of British coinage.
(5000-7000 GBP)