England (1560-61) penny
This specimen was lot 7186 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $168. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Penny, ND (1560-61). London Mint; mm: martlet. Elizabeth I. PCGS EF-45. Obverse: Crowned and mantled bust left, wearing ruffled collar; Reverse: Coat-of-arms over long cross fourchee. Some earthen highlights are observed on this attractive and solidly struck example of a tiny Elizabethan minor. From the Runze Collection." This is from the queen's second issue, which comprised shillings, groats, halfgroats and pennies. The first milled coinage made in England appeared at this time, but the process was slow and expensive. Hammered coinage would continue until the 1660's and would not be taken out of circulation until the 1690's.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 8 grains (0.51 g), 0.925 fine silver.
Catalog reference: S-2558; N-1988.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 NYINC Sale: World and Ancient Coins, featuring the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection and the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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