Scotland (1451) lion Fr-11
This specimen was lot 41494 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $13,200. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Elusive James II Gold Lion Mule, The Cochran-Patrick Specimen (1936). SCOTLAND. Lion (Scottish Crown), ND (1451). mm: crown/cross. James II. NGC AU-55. Second Coinage, Second /First Issue Mule. An attractive example with pale yellow color and areas of warm pinkish luster. Scattered traces of darker patina are noted in the protected areas. Struck on a tight flan with the upper obverse and lower reverse legends pushed off the edge, but very sharp otherwise. Double struck on the reverse with a thin hairline scratch seen to the right of St. Andrew under a glass. A VERY RARE variety of an already elusive type.
Similar to the coinage of his predecessor, these lions can be associated with issues of crown groats, linked by their style and ornamentation. While the obverse of the present variety is linked to the second variety of groats, the reverse is linked to the first variety. As such, this represents a transitional mule that Burns calls "very rare." Irrespective of variety, the James II lions are incredibly elusive, with only about eight to ten examples sold over the past two decades. From the Loch Ness Collection. Ex: Marshall Collection (Spink - 4/2004) Lot #292. Ex: Spink Numismatic Circular (4/1943) Item # 19212. Ex: R.W. Cochran-Patrick (Sotheby's - 4/1936) Lot # 28."
The only gold coins listed for this ruler are Fr-10 (demy), this Fr-11 (lion d'or) and Fr-12 (half lion d'or). All are rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: gold, this specimen 3.44 g.
Catalog reference: cf. S-5220/5221 (mule; for obv./rev.); Fr-11; Burns-1a (fig. 519A).
- 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.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Man & Lundy), Pre-Decimal Issues, 2nd edition, London: Spink & Son, 2003.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The August 2021 ANA sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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