England (1578-79) penny
The first specimen was lot 23027 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it sold for $180. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Penny, ND (1578-79). Elizabeth I (1558-1603). PCGS EF-45 Secure Holder. 5th issue, with Greek Cross. Possessing finely detailed central devices with dark gray to charcoal toning. From the John Whitney Walter Collection. Ex: Stack's auction, October 22-23, 1981." The second specimen was lot 75409 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $384. The catalog description[2] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Penny, ND (1578-79). London Mint; mm: Greek Cross. Elizabeth I. PCGS AU-50. Obverse: Crowned bust left; Reverse: Square-topped coat-of-arms over long cross fourchee. From the Richard August Collection." The penny was shrinking to useless size even by Elizabeth's reign but would not be replaced by the familiar copper denomination until the late eighteenth century.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.50 g, 0.925 fine silver.
Catalog reference: S-2575; N-2001.
- 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]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, including Selections from the Richard Margolis Collection and Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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