Scotland 1594 1/2 rider Fr-45
This specimen was lot 41521 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $16,800. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Superior James VI Half Rider, Just Four Sold in the Past 15 Years, SCOTLAND. Half Rider (50 Shillings), 1594. Edinburgh Mint. James VI. NGC EF-45. Seventh Coinage, Before Accession to the English Throne. The strike is ideally centered over a tight planchet, pushing the tips of most legends over the edge. The focal elements show intricate detail and are framed by sharp beaded circles, while the first portion of SCOTORVM is a tad soft. Warm honey-gold tone is complemented by pale yellow across the high points. A few faint hairlines are noted to the left of the reverse shield, but the surfaces are otherwise smooth and lustrous.
Similar to their larger counterpart, the half riders of James VI represent an historic transition in Scottish coinage. First issued in 1593, their production spans two centuries, ending in 1601, just two years before James VI took the English throne as James I. Survivors are VERY RARE and most show considerable surface impairments. For the 1594 issue, we are able to identify just four individual examples sold in the past 15 years, the best of which is likely the LaRiviere coin graded Good Fine. With problem-free surfaces and exceptional sharpness, this piece is likely one of the very finest in private hands. From the Loch Ness Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: gold.
Catalog reference: S-5459; Fr-45; Burns-2 (fig. 955).
- 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]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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