Scotland (1554) bawbee
This specimen was lot 73278 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2023), where it sold for $192. The catalog description[1] noted, "SCOTLAND. Bawbee, ND (1554). Stirling Mint. Mary, with Mary of Guise as Regent. PCGS Genuine--Environmental Damage, VF Details. An interesting and fairly RARE issue, this minor, struck in the name of the youthful Mary (the future Queen of Scots), was issued under the auspices of her mother, Mary of Guise, who served as regent for the former until 1560." The bawbee, or sixpence, took its name from the French phrase bas billon, or "low silver". Altho worth much less than an English sixpence, it still had significant buying power.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: billon.
Catalog reference: S-5434.
- 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.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of the Coins of Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands & Isle of Man, London: Coincraft, 1999.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, May 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Featuring the Richard Elliott Collection of Hooknecks, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
Link to:
- 1553 half lion = 22 shillings
- 1553 lion = 44 shillings
- Scotland 1555 1/2 ryal
- 1555 gold ryal = 60 shillings
- Coins and currency dated 1554