Watch List notes:

SCOTLAND. 22 Shillings (Half Lion), 1553. Edinburgh Mint; mm: cross. Mary. NGC MS-63.
S-5396; Fr-31; Burns-2 (fig. 815). Weight: 2.55 gms. First Period, Before Marriage. Pale yellow-gold tone with intense pearly luster. Masterfully centered on the flan with full beaded borders and complete legends. Beautiful and virtually pristine to the naked eye, only a touch of friction is noted on the reverse legends beneath a glass. A marvel of execution and preservation.

The 22 shillings of 1553 were issued just over a decade into Mary's rule and only a short while before her 1558 marriage to Francis, the Dauphin of France. Among the very finest offered in the past two decades, this example it is distinctly superior to both the LaRiviere (Good Very Fine) and Dundee (About Extremely Fine) coins. It is numerically tied with the Green-Newman coin (also NGC MS-63), though it compares favorably in many respects. For the absolute connoisseur of top quality, we expect it will be difficult to improve on this offering in this, or any, decade

From the Loch Ness Collection.

Ex: Spink (June 2007) Lot # 142.

Estimate: $12000 - $18000