Watch List notes:

SCOTLAND. 30 Shillings (Portrait Half Ryal), 1555. Edinburgh Mint. Mary. NGC F Details--Surface Hairlines.
S-5398; Fr-34; Burns-8 (fig. 822-2). Weight: 3.03 grams. First Period, Before Marriage. An historic specimen of this INCREDIBLY RARE issue from Mary's first period coinage. Bright lemon-yellow tone with uniform hairlines across the surfaces. Evidence of an old repair can be seen at 12 o'clock, as well as signs of smoothing throughout. Even so, the remaining detail is bold and uniform. The legends have fallen off the right edge on both sides but are otherwise very sharp.

The 1555 30 shillings, or half portrait half ryal, is a formidable rarity among Scottish gold with only about a dozen examples known. Among this scant population, at least eight are permanently impounded in institutional collections and only three or four are in private hands. The present piece is one of just two that have appeared at auction in the past 15 years and it is the finer of the pair. We first handled this piece over 45 years ago as part of the Dundee Collection, where it was cataloged as "extremely rare." It next appeared as part of the LaRiviere cabinet in 2006 which was its last public offering. We caution that it could be many decades before this type appears once again.

From the Loch Ness Collection.

Ex: Lucien LaRiviere Collection (Spink - 4/2006) Lot #102.

Ex: Spink (4/1991) Lot # 26.

Ex: Dundee Collection (Bowers & Ruddy/Spink - 2/1976) Lot # 125.

Estimate: $8000 - $12000