St. James's Auctions
Auction 73 15 Mar 2023
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Mary Stuart (after Abdication) 1542-1567, Mary and Henry Darnley, ryal, fourth period 1565 – 1567 (d. 1566), dated 1566 but probably struck 1572., crowned shield, thistle each side, HENRIC & MARIA GRA R & R SCOTORV, rev. tortoise climbing a palm tree, DAT GLORIA VIRES on scroll, EXVRGAT DEVS 9 DISSIPENTR INIMICIEI, 1566, wt. 29.69gms (cf S.5425; SCBI 58, Edinburgh, 1189 (same dies), of the highest rarity, believed to be the only example available to commerce, a bold very fine
*ex Davissons Ltd, 03/02/2016, lot 291.
Nicholas Holmes concluded in SCBI 58 in 2006 (p. 10), that these ryals must have been struck unofficially at the mint, because of the genuine reverse die. It seemed very unlikely that the die could have left the mint for fraudulent use elsewhere. In the catalogue, the coin at NMS (no. 1189) was listed as ‘contemporary forgery?’, but with reference to Rampling and Murray (1989) and suggestion that it resulted from an irregular striking at the mint. David Rampling has since published a comprehensive paper on the ryal coinage of Mary in the Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia., vol. 27 (2016), and he has revealed that the obverse was also struck from a genuine die which had been substantially retooled. This paper is fairly convincing in attributing the coins to some form of unofficial activity at the mint.
Rampling and Murray, BNJ 59 (1989), p. 213: they believed these ryals to be genuine, noted from the Lockett example that the reverse is from a genuine die.
David J. Rampling, Journal NAA, vol. 27, 2016, pp. 90 – 148: discusses these ryals in detail, there are five known, this example is the only one available to commerce; further notes that the obverse die derives from an authentic die
SCBI vol. 58, plate 48
Henry Darnley, a cousin of both Elizabeth I and Mary, became Mary's husband in 1565. Henry began scheming early on to become the real rather than the titular king on the Scottish throne. In these intrigue driven times, there was a problem finding influential backers. Protestant nobles like the Earl of Morton and Sir William Maitland brought a plan to gain the throne to Darnley.
Their effort to traumatize Mary by murdering her confidante and secretary, David Riccio, in front of her failed. Mary, pregnant at the time with the future James VI/I rallied an army and routed the plotters. Maitland may have been defeated but apparently not daunted. An article on Marian coinage (BNJ 1987 Joan Murray, "The Coinage of the Marians in 1572") cites him as involved in the 1572 counterfeiting of half and quarter merks, James VI issues.
This article and a subsequent article in the 1989 BNJ (Rampling and Murray, "An Addendum....) notes that the piece "has none of the properties of the ryal now provisionally attributed to a Marian source".
While neither of the BNJ articles suggests it, it does seem a reasonable assumption that this coin issued with Henry's name first HENRY & MARIA, was issued by pro-Henry plotters. An issue date of 1566 using a genuine 1566 reverse die matched with a "custom-made-Henry-primary" die does not require much of a speculative stretch. Interestingly enough, the weight, particularly of this piece in this sale, was within the tolerance range for regular issue – not intending to defraud, but to declare. The genuine die does not show the rust or deterioration that might be expected from a die that sat around for several years.
Darnley was assassinated in 1567 in a plot that became a significant factor in Mary's downfall. I have been able to trace only three examples: the Locket example (October 1930:913.) (Lockett also had a two-third ryal with the same reading, lot 911.); the SCBI National Museum of Scotland example, 1189; and this piece. This piece originally came from US dealer Robert Vlack.
Alan Davisson
Estimate: 7500 - 10000 GBP
*ex Davissons Ltd, 03/02/2016, lot 291.
Nicholas Holmes concluded in SCBI 58 in 2006 (p. 10), that these ryals must have been struck unofficially at the mint, because of the genuine reverse die. It seemed very unlikely that the die could have left the mint for fraudulent use elsewhere. In the catalogue, the coin at NMS (no. 1189) was listed as ‘contemporary forgery?’, but with reference to Rampling and Murray (1989) and suggestion that it resulted from an irregular striking at the mint. David Rampling has since published a comprehensive paper on the ryal coinage of Mary in the Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia., vol. 27 (2016), and he has revealed that the obverse was also struck from a genuine die which had been substantially retooled. This paper is fairly convincing in attributing the coins to some form of unofficial activity at the mint.
Rampling and Murray, BNJ 59 (1989), p. 213: they believed these ryals to be genuine, noted from the Lockett example that the reverse is from a genuine die.
David J. Rampling, Journal NAA, vol. 27, 2016, pp. 90 – 148: discusses these ryals in detail, there are five known, this example is the only one available to commerce; further notes that the obverse die derives from an authentic die
SCBI vol. 58, plate 48
Henry Darnley, a cousin of both Elizabeth I and Mary, became Mary's husband in 1565. Henry began scheming early on to become the real rather than the titular king on the Scottish throne. In these intrigue driven times, there was a problem finding influential backers. Protestant nobles like the Earl of Morton and Sir William Maitland brought a plan to gain the throne to Darnley.
Their effort to traumatize Mary by murdering her confidante and secretary, David Riccio, in front of her failed. Mary, pregnant at the time with the future James VI/I rallied an army and routed the plotters. Maitland may have been defeated but apparently not daunted. An article on Marian coinage (BNJ 1987 Joan Murray, "The Coinage of the Marians in 1572") cites him as involved in the 1572 counterfeiting of half and quarter merks, James VI issues.
This article and a subsequent article in the 1989 BNJ (Rampling and Murray, "An Addendum....) notes that the piece "has none of the properties of the ryal now provisionally attributed to a Marian source".
While neither of the BNJ articles suggests it, it does seem a reasonable assumption that this coin issued with Henry's name first HENRY & MARIA, was issued by pro-Henry plotters. An issue date of 1566 using a genuine 1566 reverse die matched with a "custom-made-Henry-primary" die does not require much of a speculative stretch. Interestingly enough, the weight, particularly of this piece in this sale, was within the tolerance range for regular issue – not intending to defraud, but to declare. The genuine die does not show the rust or deterioration that might be expected from a die that sat around for several years.
Darnley was assassinated in 1567 in a plot that became a significant factor in Mary's downfall. I have been able to trace only three examples: the Locket example (October 1930:913.) (Lockett also had a two-third ryal with the same reading, lot 911.); the SCBI National Museum of Scotland example, 1189; and this piece. This piece originally came from US dealer Robert Vlack.
Alan Davisson
Estimate: 7500 - 10000 GBP