Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3030 5-6 January 2014
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Great Britain
Henry VII (1485-1509) gold angel ND, S-2185, North-1697, Tower Mint, Greyhound's Head mm (struck 1500-07), scarce, MS63 NGC. This wonderful, historic coin is as close to perfection as an Angel could possibly be. It was made of soft gold with a fineness of 23 ct, 3.5 gr (.995 pure). Its flan is full, of sound alloy, and booming with luster. The legends are single-struck and fabulous. The armored saint, in his wings and feathers, has a face framed by a halo bearing a cross and his face is intimately clear, and intent, as the saint thrusts his Cross-spear into the devil's (dragon's) mouth, as he stands on its body with both feet. The dragon too is sharply delineated. On the verso, the ship of state, in full detail, floats upon the stormy sea guided by the cross (the ship's mast) of the island's faith and by the might of British majesty, as seen in the sharply formed royal shield. Incuse annulets decorate the ship's hull. The waves below lap high. Surrounding the symbolic scene is an abbreviated version of the Latin legend PER CRUCEM TUAM SALVA NOS CHRISTE REDEMPTOR, meaning "By Thy cross, save us, O Christ, our Redeemer." It is one of the finest statements of religious belief, and a prayer for protection, found on any English coin. And here, all numerical grading aside, is absolutely the single finest Angel this cataloguer has seen in nearly 40 years of handling the best English coins. It is Mint State, flawless, fully lustrous, and boldly struck -- a golden jewel of the Tudor Age.This reign of the first of the Tudors was fraught with danger, political and otherwise. When Richard III died a famous death in battle, the conclusion of the long war between the houses of York and Lancaster brought an immediate end to the Plantagenet Age. The clever Welshman Harri Tudur went from military triumph to marry Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and niece of the slain Richard, establishing the Tudor dynasty. He himself ruled for 24 years. He was a most clever man who gathered a fortune to his treasury, but numerous treacheries threatened him along the way. One of the most threatening occurred shortly before this wonderful gold coin, then worth six shillings and eight pence, was minted. A pretender by the name of Perkin Warbeck came out of nowhere in 1490 and claimed to be Richard, Duke of York and second son of Edward IV, the younger of the two princes whose bodies were only found five centuries later buried in the walls of the Tower of London, but in 1490 no one knew of their whereabouts. They had been imprisoned in 1483 by Richard III and never heard from again. Warbeck was such an effective con man that he persuaded the king of Scotland to invade England with him (his third invasion) in 1496. He and a small army landed in Cornwall but were quickly defeated. Henry VII executed him in 1499. Henry himself only lived another decade. The flesh perished, but now and then a glorious example of the wealth of his age surfaces -- and what could be finer than a gem Angel bearing the head, as mintmark, of the aggressive greyhound, the royal dog?
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD
Henry VII (1485-1509) gold angel ND, S-2185, North-1697, Tower Mint, Greyhound's Head mm (struck 1500-07), scarce, MS63 NGC. This wonderful, historic coin is as close to perfection as an Angel could possibly be. It was made of soft gold with a fineness of 23 ct, 3.5 gr (.995 pure). Its flan is full, of sound alloy, and booming with luster. The legends are single-struck and fabulous. The armored saint, in his wings and feathers, has a face framed by a halo bearing a cross and his face is intimately clear, and intent, as the saint thrusts his Cross-spear into the devil's (dragon's) mouth, as he stands on its body with both feet. The dragon too is sharply delineated. On the verso, the ship of state, in full detail, floats upon the stormy sea guided by the cross (the ship's mast) of the island's faith and by the might of British majesty, as seen in the sharply formed royal shield. Incuse annulets decorate the ship's hull. The waves below lap high. Surrounding the symbolic scene is an abbreviated version of the Latin legend PER CRUCEM TUAM SALVA NOS CHRISTE REDEMPTOR, meaning "By Thy cross, save us, O Christ, our Redeemer." It is one of the finest statements of religious belief, and a prayer for protection, found on any English coin. And here, all numerical grading aside, is absolutely the single finest Angel this cataloguer has seen in nearly 40 years of handling the best English coins. It is Mint State, flawless, fully lustrous, and boldly struck -- a golden jewel of the Tudor Age.This reign of the first of the Tudors was fraught with danger, political and otherwise. When Richard III died a famous death in battle, the conclusion of the long war between the houses of York and Lancaster brought an immediate end to the Plantagenet Age. The clever Welshman Harri Tudur went from military triumph to marry Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and niece of the slain Richard, establishing the Tudor dynasty. He himself ruled for 24 years. He was a most clever man who gathered a fortune to his treasury, but numerous treacheries threatened him along the way. One of the most threatening occurred shortly before this wonderful gold coin, then worth six shillings and eight pence, was minted. A pretender by the name of Perkin Warbeck came out of nowhere in 1490 and claimed to be Richard, Duke of York and second son of Edward IV, the younger of the two princes whose bodies were only found five centuries later buried in the walls of the Tower of London, but in 1490 no one knew of their whereabouts. They had been imprisoned in 1483 by Richard III and never heard from again. Warbeck was such an effective con man that he persuaded the king of Scotland to invade England with him (his third invasion) in 1496. He and a small army landed in Cornwall but were quickly defeated. Henry VII executed him in 1499. Henry himself only lived another decade. The flesh perished, but now and then a glorious example of the wealth of his age surfaces -- and what could be finer than a gem Angel bearing the head, as mintmark, of the aggressive greyhound, the royal dog?
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD