Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
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Great Britain
Richard III (1483-85) gold Angel ND, S-2152, North-1677 (extremely rare), RICAD, Sun & Rose (2) mm, "R" and rose by mast, AU58 NGC, slightly short of flan but the king's name is fully contained to the top of its letters, each side seemingly struck from pitted or rusted dies, the important features quite clear despite some softness in the overall strike, surfaces choice for grade level, with pleasing reddish gold toning. An historic coin, minted towards the end of this brief reign, as arranged by Peter Woodhead's cataloguing of the Schneider collection; also, as "Type 3," so arranged in the SCBC. (Mis-attributed slightly on the NGC grading insert as S-2149, another spelling of the king's name.)Richard III was a ruthless man by many accounts, subject to mad rants as portrayed by Shakespeare, and he was widely despised after seizing the crown from his brother, Edward IV, and imprisoning the king's two young sons, including his eldest and heir, the 12-year-old Edward V. No one knew at the time but Richard had them both killed and their bodies sealed into the thick walls of the Tower of London. Suspicions of this heinous act circulated, however, and the Earl of Richmond, Henry Tudor (grandson of Henry V), determined to unseat the former Prince Richard. His grandmother was daughter of the king of France, so the French willfully aided Henry, whose army clashed with that of Richard III at Bosworth field on August 22, 1485. Richard was killed on the field of battle, one of the most famous deaths in history, and Henry Tudor was crowned King of England right on the battlefield. It is not hard to imagine that his new subjects readily turned in any coins issued by Richard -- and when they were melted some of the finest mementoes of English medieval history perished. Somehow, this golden Angel survived.
Estimate: 15000-20000 USD
Richard III (1483-85) gold Angel ND, S-2152, North-1677 (extremely rare), RICAD, Sun & Rose (2) mm, "R" and rose by mast, AU58 NGC, slightly short of flan but the king's name is fully contained to the top of its letters, each side seemingly struck from pitted or rusted dies, the important features quite clear despite some softness in the overall strike, surfaces choice for grade level, with pleasing reddish gold toning. An historic coin, minted towards the end of this brief reign, as arranged by Peter Woodhead's cataloguing of the Schneider collection; also, as "Type 3," so arranged in the SCBC. (Mis-attributed slightly on the NGC grading insert as S-2149, another spelling of the king's name.)Richard III was a ruthless man by many accounts, subject to mad rants as portrayed by Shakespeare, and he was widely despised after seizing the crown from his brother, Edward IV, and imprisoning the king's two young sons, including his eldest and heir, the 12-year-old Edward V. No one knew at the time but Richard had them both killed and their bodies sealed into the thick walls of the Tower of London. Suspicions of this heinous act circulated, however, and the Earl of Richmond, Henry Tudor (grandson of Henry V), determined to unseat the former Prince Richard. His grandmother was daughter of the king of France, so the French willfully aided Henry, whose army clashed with that of Richard III at Bosworth field on August 22, 1485. Richard was killed on the field of battle, one of the most famous deaths in history, and Henry Tudor was crowned King of England right on the battlefield. It is not hard to imagine that his new subjects readily turned in any coins issued by Richard -- and when they were melted some of the finest mementoes of English medieval history perished. Somehow, this golden Angel survived.
Estimate: 15000-20000 USD