Watch List notes:

SCOTLAND. 1/2 Sword and Sceptre (3 Pound Piece), 1601. Edinburgh Mint. James VI. NGC MS-63.
S-5462; Fr-47; Burns-2 (fig. 957). Eighth Coinage, Before Accession to the English Throne. An incredible Mint State survivor from the turn of the 17th century. Vibrant yellow-gold tone is accented by warmer honey color near the borders. Struck from rusted dies with a matte-like texture on the obverse and much of IACOBVS pushed off the edge. The reverse is ideally centered with full legends and satiny luster in the fields. Scrutiny reveals just a microscopic mark to the right of the obverse crown and a few faint hairlines in the reverse fields. A superior coalescence of execution and preservation.

The 1601 half sword and sceptre is scarce in all grades and the vast majority or survivors exhibit considerable handling and impairment. The LaRiviere specimen was graded Very Fine with light creases and even the Eliasberg coin was "merely" a NGC VF-35. At the Choice Mint State level, this specimen remains largely unchallenged by any of those sold in the past decade. It represents our first offering of the issue since 2014 and is sure to command significant attention among specialists.

From the Loch Ness Collection.

Estimate: $4500 - $6500