England (1549-50) 1/2 sovereign Fr-181a
The first specimen was lot 20074 in Ponterio sale 176 (Chicago, August 2013), where it sold for $12,925. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Edward VI, 1547-1553. Half Sovereign, ND (1549-50). Arrow. Tower Mint. Choice Uncrowned Bust Half Sovereign Uncrowned bust right. Rv. Crowned garnished shield, ‘E R’ flanking. A very attractive, well struck example on a fully round flan with full legends. A very subtle patch of flan porosity is noted in the left obverse field. Lightly wiped once and a bit bright, though still a superior example of this important class type. Very Fine. Ex: Sotheby’s, 1981." This half sovereign was tariffed at ten shillings. The second specimen was lot 31194 in Heritage Sale 3115 (Chicago, May 2024), where it sold for $4,800. The catalog description[2] noted, "Great Britain: Edward VI (1547-1553) gold 1/2 Sovereign ND (1551) XF45 NGC, Southwark mint, Y mm. An exceptionally strong representative of this seldom-seen type, almost exclusively witnessed in comparable preservations. Well-centered with characteristic striking weakness to the central motifs, this does little to distract the eye when viewed in hand. Ex. CNG Auction 123 (May 2023, Lot 975)."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: gold, 90 grains (5.82 g); the first specimen 83.8 grains, the second specimen 5.27 g.
Catalog reference: S-2435; North-1892; Fr-181a. The second specimen is N-1908.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, and Bruce Roland Hagen, Ponterio sale 176: The Thos. H. Law Collection of English Gold Coins, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers, LLC, 2013.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [2]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2024 May 8 - 10 CSNS World Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction #3115, featuring the Ezen Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2024.
Link to:
- (1547-51) half sovereign, titles of Henry VIII
- (1547-49) half sovereign, titles of Edward VI
- MDXLIX (1549) shilling, London mint, arrow mintmark
- MDXLIX (1549)-t shilling, Canterbury mint
- (1549) gold half crown, arrow mintmark
- (1549-50)-Y gold half crown, Southwark mint, crowned bust of Edward VI
- (1549)-Y gold crown, Southwark mint
- (1549-50) half sovereign, crowned bust
- England (1549-50) sovereign Fr-180
- England (1550-53) 6 pence
- Coins and currency dated 1549
- return to coins of Great Britain