Watch List notes:

BRITISH COINS, HAMMERED GOLD SOVEREIGNS, Henry VII (1485-1509), Fine Gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings, Group IV (c.1502-1504), crowned full robed figure of the King seated facing on ornate throne with high canopy, holding orb and sceptre, initial mark lis at start of legend, legend reads hEnRICVSx xDEIx xGRAx REXx AnGLx ETx FRAnx DnSx hIB'n'xx, rev quartered shield of arms upon Tudor rose, surrounded by beaded and linear tressure of ten arcs, each cusp overlaid with alternating leaf and lis fleury device, beaded circle surrounding, initial mark dragon at top, legend reads xIhESVSx xAVTEMx xTRAnSIEnSx xPERx xMEDIVMx xILLORVMx xIBAT xx*xx, 15.40g (Potter and Winstanley type IV; Grierson class D; SCBI 23:79-80; Schneider 550; North 1692/1; S 2175). A little double struck in the obverse legend, with good detail in the design, one tiny black spot on the reverse inner circle, otherwise good very fine, an impressive example of the art of engraving in the Renaissance, very rare.
ex Christies, 26 February 1991, lot 572

ex Samuel King collection, Spink Auction, 5 May 2005, lot 21 and back cover illustration
The gold Sovereign was first introduced by King Henry VII, recorded in a commission dated 28 October 1489 to be struck at the Tower of London at a 20-Shilling face value; at a fineness of 23 carats and 3½ grains (0.995 fine gold); and 240 grains in weight (15.552g). The commission further stated that for every pound of gold struck into coin at the Tower, at least two coins had to be gold Sovereigns, which equated in face value terms to £2 in every £22 and 10-Shillings.

Estimate: £100,000-120,000