Deanston ND 5 shillings

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Stack's Bowers 2024 NYINC sale, lot 53305
SB124-53305 rev.jpg

This specimen was lot 53305 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $3,360. The catalog description[1] noted,

"SCOTLAND. Scotland - Mexico. Perthshire. Deanston. 5 Shillings, ND. NGC EF-45; Countermark: AU Standard. Countermark: Beehive on stand, legend around within solid border. Applied to the obverse of a 1768-Mo MF Mexico pillar 8 Reales of Charles III (KM-105). The countermark is boldly applied with strong central designs, though the legends are slightly doubled, on a wholesome nicely preserved host coin. The surfaces display attractive rich mottled gray patina with a slight iridescent sheen that pops out when tilted in the light. A pleasing example of this seldom encountered and interesting RARE issue. It is interesting to note that according to Manville this issue did not appear on the market until sometime during the 1930s. Supposedly, the die was found in a desk drawer some 100 years after the fact, but shows no signs of age or degradation. In fact, aside from the three known examples on colonial Mexican hosts, most others are on base metal blanks. Though the origins of this issue are unknown, it is still an interesting aspect of the Scottish countermark series. Ex: Clyde Hubbard Collection. Ex: Howard D. Gibbs Collection (Hans M. F. Schulman 11/1960) Lot # 374. Ex: Napier Collection (Glendining 5/1956) Lot # 295 (part of)."

Could this poorly documented specimen be a fantasy concocted for collectors?

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: host con: 27.07 g, 0.903 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM CC28?; Manville-X22 (this piece listed).

Source:

  • Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
  • [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.

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