Watch List notes:

SCOTLAND. 20 Pound Piece, 1576. Edinburgh Mint. James VI. NGC VF-20.
S-5451; Fr-37; Burns-1 (fig. 947). Weight: 30.48 gms. Second Coinage, Before Accession to the English Throne. The 1576 20 pound piece is a LEGENDARY RARITY among Scottish gold and a hallmark of only the most sophisticated cabinets. The present specimen is as impressive as it is rare, representing one of only seven thought to exist in private hands. Pale olive-gold tone dominates the complexion, with subtle hints of satiny luster in the protected areas. Sharply defined and expertly centered, leaving the legends completely intact on both sides. Minor edge bruises are noted at 4 and 5 o'clock on the obverse, as are thin hairline scratches at the head of the portrait. It is a physically imposing piece whose heft is only eclipsed by its historic significance. This specimen is traced back to the famed Bridgewater House Collection, assembled beginning in the 17th century, only a handful of decades after this piece was struck. More recently it was included in the collection of Lucien LaRiviere, which is synonymous with the utmost quality and rarity. Even considering the density of rarities in the Loch Ness Collection, it remains a standout offering and is surely destined for another world-class cabinet.

The gold 20 pound pieces were struck from dies by John Achesoun and were the largest denomination in the Scottish series. This issue was produced as part of the second coinage under James VI, one of ten distinct coinages spanning from the earliest issues dated 1567 and lasting until his death in 1625. They also represented the highest face value in the English, Scottish or British series, with a value even greater than the famed Triple Unites struck by James IV's grandson, Charles I of England, some 70 years later. Burns points out that "from their great rarity and exceptional weight, so greatly exceeding that of any other Scottish coins, [the twenty pound pieces] were formally regarded as medals or pattern pieces." Their mythical status is compounded by the reverse legend, which borrows from Virgil's Aeneid and translates as To show mercy to the defeated and crush the overbearing. This issue was to be accompanied by 10 and five pound pieces, but none of these are known to have been struck.

In 1603, at the age of 36, James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English throne on the death of Elizabeth I and was proclaimed "James I, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland." During this reign, the Authorized, or "King James," version of the English Bible was completed and a start was made toward the ultimate unification of his native Scotland with England. This 1576 20 pound piece is surely one of the most significant surviving relics of this crucial era in European history.

From the Loch Ness Collection. Ex: Lucien LaRiviere Collection (Spink - 4/2006) Lot # 146.

Ex: Spink (6/1988) Lot # 112.

Ex: Bridgewater House Collection (Sotheby's - 6/1972) Lot # 112.

Estimate: $70000 - $100000