Scotland 1540 bonnet piece Fr-25
This specimen was lot 21356 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2020), where it sold for $11,400. The catalog description[1] noted, "SCOTLAND. Ducat or 'Bonnet Piece', 1540. James V. NGC EF Details--Graffiti. Obverse: x IACOBVS 5 DEI GRA R SCOTOR, mantled bust right, wearing bonnet; Reverse: HONOR REGIS IVDICIVM DILIGIT, crowned coat-of-arms over cross fleuree. A pleasing, deep golden tone highlights this seldom encountered type, whose only unfortunate detraction is an 'X' engraved as graffito into the obverse fields before the king's face. Well centered and handsomely struck. James died in 1542, with his daughter Mary being just six days old. The next day, she was crowned as Queen of the Scots, ruling in the north and becoming the key player in the political intrigues of the first 30 years of the reign in England of her first cousin once removed--Elizabeth. Ex: Stack's (1/2010) Lot # 1024." Friedberg lists this as equal to a ducat but the weight is far too high. Two-thirds 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 5.57 g.
Catalog reference: Fr-25, S-5373.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2020 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2019.
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