Baldwin & Sons
Auction 88 8 May 2014
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BRITISH COINS, HAMMERED GOLD SOVEREIGNS, Edward VI (1547-1553), Gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings, Second Period (24 January 1549 to 18 December 1550), Southwark mint, crowned full figure of boy King seated facing on tall throne with cherub ornaments, holding orb and sword, linear inner and outer beaded circles surrounding, initial mark Y at start of legend both sides, legend reads Y EDVVARD'. VI: D' G'. AGL': FRAN': ET: HIB': REX:, rose at end of legend, rev crown over quartered shield of arms supported by crowned lion to left, griffin to right, ER on large banner below, linear inner and beaded outer circle, legend reads Y IHS'. AVTEM. TRANSIENS: PER MEDI'. ILLOR': IBAT., 10.12g (Schneider 685; North 1906; S 2433). Some evidence of tooling on the reverse by banner and smoothing on the obverse fields, giving some loss in overall weight, weakly struck at face, otherwise details clear, about very fine.
ex Clarendon collection, Part I, Bonhams, 28 March 2006, lot 916
This was the first of three types of gold Sovereign depicting the boy King Edward VI dating to 1550. This second period coinage was only issued once the King was satisfied that the coinage could be sustained at a higher fineness of gold than his Father's debased issues. Therefore this Sovereign was issued at 22 carat fineness (0.917 fine), which we still use for British gold coinage today, and a 20-Shilling face value, though it weighed only just over 169 grains (10.977g), as the country continued to recover from the extravagance of Henry VIII. This example emanates from the Southwark mint where Sir John Yorke was the Under-Treasurer, hence the use of his surname initial Y for the mintmark.
Estimate: £12,000-15,000
ex Clarendon collection, Part I, Bonhams, 28 March 2006, lot 916
This was the first of three types of gold Sovereign depicting the boy King Edward VI dating to 1550. This second period coinage was only issued once the King was satisfied that the coinage could be sustained at a higher fineness of gold than his Father's debased issues. Therefore this Sovereign was issued at 22 carat fineness (0.917 fine), which we still use for British gold coinage today, and a 20-Shilling face value, though it weighed only just over 169 grains (10.977g), as the country continued to recover from the extravagance of Henry VIII. This example emanates from the Southwark mint where Sir John Yorke was the Under-Treasurer, hence the use of his surname initial Y for the mintmark.
Estimate: £12,000-15,000