Scotland 1540 2/3 bonnet piece Fr-26
This specimen was lot 31301 in Heritage sale 3089 (Dallas, TX, January 2021), where it sold for $26,400. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Scotland. James V gold 2/3 Ducat or "Bonnet Piece" 1540 XF45 NGC, Edinburgh mint, Lis mm, Third coinage. IACOBVS • D • G • R • SCOTORVM • 1 • 5 • 4 • 0, mantled bust right, wearing bonnet; small crescent to left / + HONOR • REGIS • IVDICIVM • DILIGIT, crowned coat-of-arms; I - 5 (for James V) across fields. A fractional denomination of the first dated type for the British Isles, this enchanting and exceptionally pleasing '2/3 Bonnet Piece' features a superb strike and good centering, along with a pleasingly toned flan of good metal. Going back over a decade, only three other examples have gone up for auction:
1) the Lockett specimen, exhibiting some nicks in the obverse field and a few scratches in the reverse field 2) the Dundee specimen, displaying some central striking weakness on each side along with some scattered field marks, minor flan waviness, and an 'X' etched in front of the bust 3) the LaRiviere, Bareford, B.G. Johnson, Bruun specimen (the nicest of these three and the one which most closely mirrors the quality of the present piece), offering a similar flan and strike, though with some noted doubling near the lower portion of the obverse legend
For comparison purposes, the third example can allude to potential bidding levels, as it most recently realized a hammer of $13,000 in 2011 and was described simply as 'VF.' Undoubtedly, the present specimen is a remarkable representative destined for the most advanced and discriminating of collectors of Scottish or hammered coins. Ex. Douglas Collection (Spink Auction 119, March 1997, Lot 281). From the Penn Collection."
Friedberg lists this as equal to two-thirds of a ducat but the weight is far too high. Whole and one-third bonnet pieces were also issued. We don't know how many shillings this would have traded for but any gold coin would have had enormous buying power in sixteenth century Scotland.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: gold, this specimen 3.81 g.
Catalog reference: S-5374, Fr-26, Burns-pg. 252, 1 (Fig. 755), SCBI XXXV-906-7.
- 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.
- 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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage Auction 3089: NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum & Signature Auction - Dallas, featuring the Cape Coral Collection of European Crowns and the Penn Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2020.
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